Design and Development of Solar-Powered Trolley-Mounted Sprayer

The increasing demand for sustainable and energy-efficient agricultural practices has encouraged the development of renewable energy-based farm machinery. This study focuses on the design, development, and performance evaluation of a solar-powered trolley-mounted sprayer aimed at improving spraying efficiency while reducing labor dependency and fossil fuel consumption. The developed system consists of a stainless steel (SS) trolley frame, a 20 L liquid storage tank, a 40 W solar photovoltaic panel, a 12 V rechargeable battery (30 Ah), a DC pump, and a five-nozzle spraying unit. The system was designed to ensure uniform spray distribution, enhanced field capacity, and ease of operation under field conditions. Performance evaluation was conducted through laboratory testing at the Workshop Machinery and Maintenance (WMM) Division and field trials at BRRI farm, Gazipur. The results revealed that the trolley-mounted sprayer achieved an average effective field capacity of 0.182 ha/h, which was higher than that of multi-nozzle (0.159 ha/h) and backpack sprayers (0.136 ha/h). Similarly, the average field efficiency of the developed sprayer was recorded as 78.61%, indicating improved operational performance compared to conventional systems. The flow rate of the system ranged between 3.1 and 3.4 L/min, while battery voltage varied from 12.4 V to 13.0 V depending on solar irradiance conditions. The study also analyzed the effect of solar energy variation on system performance, showing that solar irradiance peaked around midday, which correspondingly influenced battery charging, pump speed, and discharge rate. The findings demonstrate that the developed solar-powered trolley-mounted sprayer is an efficient, eco-friendly, and cost-effective solution for agricultural spraying operations, particularly suitable for small and medium-scale farmers.