A PROPOSAL TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP A MICROWAVE WEED CONTROLLER FOR AGRICULTURAL USE

Abstract

Problems based on agricultural activities are increasingly adversely affecting the environment and living health mostly due to chemical inputs used which cause concerns globally. One of the non-chemical weed control methods is the microwave weed control method. The purpose of this research is to propose an environmentally friendly agricultural machine design that can be an alternative to harmful chemicals used in weed control. In this study, microwave generators (magnetron) receive their energy from a generator fed from the tractor shaft. Multiple magnetrons, control, and leakage unit, and waveguides operating at 2.45 GHz ISM will be used. The design includes a magnetic shunt transformer, a high voltage capacitor, a filter, and a cooling fan with each magnetron where microwave leaks that occur during applications can be controlled and magnetron activities can also be monitored. Field applications and tractor working conditions will be analyzed and the device will be re-designed and developed according to the needs. In this study, unlike the other studies, more than one magnetron will be used and the device is designed for open agricultural areas applications. This design and application area differences are the most important feature that distinguishes this study from others, and it is made for the first time. Its use is expected to occur in all countries with similar characteristics for agricultural production.