Validation of simulated dynamic behavior of sprayer boom in SOLIDWORKS through actual field experiments

Abstract

Dynamic behavior of agricultural implements has always been a challenging topic for researchers. In precision farming, precise control of the agricultural implements is a very important task. To study the dynamics of agricultural implements, Researchers conduct field experiments as well as laboratory tests. These methods are very costly and the measurements are usually associated with some errors. Providing well-controlled experimental conditions in practice is very difficult, if not impossible. In this article, the capability of the SolidWorks in simulation and predicting the dynamic behavior of a conventional sprayer boom is discussed. To validate the results, field tests were conducted using a conventional sprayer boom. The results showed that there was no significant difference at 95% confidence level between results from computer simulation and those obtained from the field test of conventional sprayer boom.

Keywords: Simulation, Boom sprayers, SolidWorks, Dynamic behavior