RU2714767C1 - Device for mass damage of locusts in flight - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: agriculture.

SUBSTANCE: device for mass damage of locusts in flight includes an airborne vehicle – a helicopter equipped with a working fluid container, pipelines, water-retaining devices and a sprayer. In addition, the device is equipped with a tank with water heating for flushing of the system made with possibility of its heating from the helicopter electric generator. Both tanks are connected with sprayer having holes of 250–400 mcm, located downstream of helicopter. Before the sprayer there is an air intake funnel converging to the sprayer.

EFFECT: enabling efficiency of locust control.

1 cl, 3 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to agriculture, in particular to the control of pests of crops forming large concentrations in flight, in particular, with locusts

State of the art

A known method of defeating locust masses in places of its accumulation by spraying pesticides from an airplane is expensive, indiscriminate and unsafe. See, for example, the site http://indasad.ru/zashchitnyemeropriyatiya/3543-borba-s-saranchoj.

Closest to the proposed method is the "Method for the mechanical destruction of locust masses and a device for its implementation", (RF patent No. 2670134). Here, the impact on the locust flock is carried out by washed and calibrated quartz sand, dumped on top of the locust flock using an aircraft, for example, a transport helicopter. The disadvantage of this method is the long and energy-intensive process of preparing sand, including washing, drying and calibration. The disadvantages of this method include the rather large weight of quartz sand.

A device is known (RF patent No. 2670134) for scattering quartz sand from a helicopter downward, consisting of a guide tube and a paddle sand spreader.

Known devices for spraying chemicals, including a tank, a pump, a switchgear and an atomizer itself with holes, the size of which determines the size of the droplets, see, for example, the site https://allreffrs.ru/5-9877. html Such devices are also installed on aircraft. Their disadvantages include sufficient complexity in organizing the spraying process.

Disclosure of Invention

From the publication Locust and its locomotor capabilities. Locust flights. ” see https://collectedpapers.com.ua/en/flight_of_insect/sarana-ta-yiyi-lokomotorni-mozhlivosti-poloti-sarani the following is known. The average flight height of the locust flock is 500-600 m, the maximum - 2000 m; the average flight speed is 10-12 km / h, the maximum speed with a fair wind reaches 30 km / h; a flock of locusts without landings can overcome more than 2000 km; the number of insects in a flock can reach one billion; the density of the flock depending on the flight altitude is in the range from 0.001 to 0.1 insects per 1 m ³ (up to one or more than one km above the ground) and from 1 to 10 insects per 1 m ³ (several meters from the ground). Let us pay attention to the peculiarities of the wings of the migratory locust: the front wings are 42-54 mm long for males and 46-56 mm for females (females are slightly larger than males in size). The length of the hind wings is approximately the same. Locusts belong to the rear-engine insect and its hind wings are leading.

It is important to note two more significant circumstances.

1. Locusts when flying in a flight are moved by many echelons in height and are quite compact in plan. This can be judged by the large accumulation of insects upon their landing and by the appearance of the flock from the ground, when literally a cloud of limited size moves in the sky. See, for example, the site fb.ru> article / 42177 / sarancha ... It follows from this that the projection of a locust swarm on a horizontal plane has a high density.

2. Judging by the available images of locusts with spread wings, see, for example, the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (vol. 28, pp. 402-404, 1900), one can estimate the ratio of the locust wing area to its body area approximately (6, 5-7): 1.

On the website http://www.svavia.ru/ttd/ttdl5.html the flight technical characteristics of the most common medium transport helicopter MI-8 are published: ceiling - about 4.7 km, carrying capacity - about 4 tons, cruising speed - 225 km /hour. The helicopter has a hatch in the floor of the cargo compartment. The characteristics of this helicopter in terms of speed and altitude significantly exceed the corresponding locomotor characteristics of the locust flock. If necessary, the helicopter can easily catch up with a flying flock of locusts and can rise much higher than its flight level.

The essence of the proposed method of ecologically safe locust control consists precisely in the action from above (from the height of the helicopter) of the locust flying on its wings with droplets of adhesive compounds that make the weight of the locust itself heavier, and most importantly, its wings and excluding the possibility of continuing the flight, forcing the locust to land . Moreover, given the density of the locust flock in flight (vertically), it must be assumed that the effectiveness of the action of glue drops on the locust wings will be very high.

After its forced landing, locust immobilized and unable to fly can be collected with garden vacuum cleaners as was done, for example, in the ornithological park in Sochi in the summer of 2016 (http://www.Jnterfax.ru/russia/516823) and disposed of her further in one way or another.

Note that it is possible to process with a glue solution also a locust flock on the ground with the same positive effect. Now we can formulate the method itself.

A method of hitting locust masses in flight, characterized in that the droplet action is applied from above to the locust wings with water-based adhesive, for example, liquid paste, starch-based, or low toxicity adhesive, for example, silicate based on liquid glass.

Given that the glue mentioned above has a volumetric weight approximately equal to the volumetric weight of the water, the helicopter will be used more efficiently than when destroying locusts with quartz sand (prototype), which is more than twice as heavy as water. It is also obvious that this method is no less environmentally friendly than the prototype method. Note that in the future this may be, and so far, an expensive, biodegradable adhesive based on water, for example, of the well-known company BASF.

A device for implementing this method consists of an aircraft, for example, a medium transport helicopter MI 8, equipped with a hatch. Two tanks are fixed in the cavity of the helicopter, one with a volume of 1.5-2 m ³ with adhesive liquid, the other with a volume of about 0.5 m ³ with water and with the possibility of heating it from the helicopter’s generator. Both containers are connected to a sprayer with openings of 250-400 microns, the sizes of which provide the formation of drops (see https // allrefrs.ru / 5-9877.html), and warm water is used to flush the spraying system in case of adhesive deposits on the walls, and an air inlet funnel is installed in front of the atomizer, tapering towards the atomizer. The funnel perceives air currents during the movement of the helicopter and from the action of its propellers. The air flow directed to the sprayer increases the speed of movement of the working fluid and the speed of its outflow from the holes of the sprayer. Note that in one cubic meter of liquid contains at least one hundred million drops, which guarantees the defeat of the pack of one million individuals!

We now formulate the formula for the protected device.

A device for hitting locust masses in flight, including an aircraft, for example, a transport helicopter equipped with a container for working fluid, a tank with heated water for flushing the system, pipelines, water shut-off devices and a spray with holes with openings 250-400 microns located down from the helicopter characterized in that an air inlet funnel is installed in front of the atomizer, tapering towards the atomizer.

An aerial attack on a locust flock is carried out after reconnaissance, determining the coordinates of the locust flock, the direction of flight, and estimating its quantity. Spraying glue on a locust flock is adjusted for wind.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In FIG. 1 shows a General view of the device.

In FIG. 2 shows a diagram of the working part of the device.

In FIG. 3 is a top view of the funnel and atomizer.

The implementation of the invention

A method of hitting locust masses in flight, which consists in carrying out the drip action from above on locust wings with water-based adhesive, for example, liquid paste, based on starch, or low toxicity adhesive, for example, silicate based on liquid glass.

Drops of glue on the locust wings weight the wings and make further flight impossible, forcing the locust to land.

A device for hitting locust masses in flight includes a flying vehicle, for example, a transport helicopter 1 equipped with a container for working fluid 2 and a capacity 3 with water heating, for example, an electric heater 4 for flushing the system, a pipeline 5 from the container with working fluid 2 with a crane 6, pipeline 7 from the tank with heated water 3 and a crane 8, interconnected by a pipe 9, closed by a pipe 10 inclined by the movement of the helicopter, connected by the movement of the helicopter on one side with an air intake funnel 11, and the other with a spray 12 with holes of the order of 250-400 microns, placed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the helicopter.

The device operates as follows. To defeat the locust, the crane 6 opens and the adhesive composition from the tank 2 enters the sprayer 12 and through the holes in it begins to fall under the action of gravity down in the form of drops. The acceleration of the movement of the working fluid provides air flow from the air intake funnel 11 to the holes of the atomizer 12.

The amount of sprayed liquid is regulated by tap 6. If it is necessary to flush the system, tap 6 is closed and tap 8 opens to allow hot water to flow from tank 3.

The process of immobilization of the mass of locusts in its flight from the air occurs as follows. After aerial (optional) reconnaissance and location of the flying locust flock and the direction of movement to immobilize it, a helicopter equipped with the equipment described above flies. Upon reaching the flying flock, the helicopter is attached above the flock at a height corresponding to the sprayed characteristic of the glue drop.

If glue drops fall on an insect, it becomes heavier at all, and glue on the locust wings surface makes the wings heavier and excludes the possibility of continuing the flight. As a result, locusts are forced to fall, or fall to the ground, where it is collected and disposed of.

Claims (1)

A device for hitting locust masses in flight, including a flying vehicle — a helicopter equipped with a tank for working fluid, pipelines, water shutoff devices and a sprayer, characterized in that it is additionally equipped with a tank with heated water for flushing the system, made with the possibility of heating it from the helicopter’s generator , both containers are connected to a sprayer having openings of 250-400 μm, placed downward from the helicopter, and an air intake funnel is installed in front of the sprayer, tapering to the sprayer.

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