Indian Journal of Ecology

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical methods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems related to fluid flow. The study conducted a comprehensive analysis of the design and operational parameters of plant protection equipment, with a focus on factors such as operating pressure, height, nozzle type, fluid density, and viscosity. The investigation utilized Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and the ANSYS FLUENT software to simulate the behavior of lime juice and distilled water mixtures across various proportions. Both hollow cone and flat fan assemblies exhibited increased discharge rates (0.223 to 0.254 L/min for flat fan, 0.222 to 0.359 L/min for hollow cone) and wider swath widths (372 to 558 mm for hollow cone, 254 to 385 mm for flat fan) as pressure increased from 1.5 to 2.5 kg/cm². Droplet size decreased with pressure for flat fan (284-263 microns) and hollow cone (336-278 microns), while spray angles increased 50 to 69° for hollow cone and 35 to 51° for flat fan with pressure 0.5 to 2.5 kg/cm² and height of 400 to 500 mm. Theresults emphasize the need to balance environmental impact and biological efficacy in optimizing plant protection equipment performance.