| Details of Innovation |
The following type of nozzles are used with the Chandraprabha Raingun: 20mm., 18 mm., 12 mm. and 15 mm. depending upon the water level. There are two types of Rainguns:
(1) Full-round raingun and
(2) Half round raingun, which is required to cover the critical area of the land.
By studying conventional sprinkler irrigation systems at various exhibitions and locations, Annasaheb came out with his own design to suit the requirements of the sugarcane crop. He worked with wood at home and ultimately arrived at a suitable design which he fabricated at a foundry. After installing it in his field, he further refined its design. To achieve a balanced shaft movement, Annasaheb added about 400 gm. of additional weight at the back. At the outlet, he provided a groove for fixing nozzles of different sizes to throw water to different lengths as needed. Further, he introduced a locking system to prevent the sprinkler head from throwing water into neighbouring fields. With all these refinements, Annasaheb now has an almost perfect sprinkler head which he has named after the goddess Chandraprabha. The Raingun can irrigate one acre in about one and a half hours. Sprinklers generally have two nozzles; one for applying water over long distances and the other for short distances. But the Chandraprabha Raingun has a special LOPS nozzle which covers both the distances. Also, there is a provision to choose a nozzle size of 17, 19, 21 or 23 mm. to achieve the required throw distance. For instance, a 17 mm. nozzle throws water up to 100 feet radius while a 23 mm nozzle can throw water up to 140 feet.
Presently, Annasaheb is busy giving final touches to a sprayer which, he promises, will be a good alternative to the laborious hand-operated back sprayer. The new sprayer runs on a 6V rechargeable battery and sprays uniformly to almost six to seven ft. using a metal wheel, found in any audio-record player. |
Honey Bee Network Knowledge & Innovation Database (HBNKIND)