Development of a 'smart' monolayer application system for reducing evaporation from farm dams: introductory paper

Abstract

Chemical monolayer films are potentially an economical low-impact means of reducing evaporative loss from farm water storages. However, their performance can be highly variable as they are affected by climatic and environmental factors: principally wind, wave action and bio-degradation. These limitations must be accommodated for in the management of the applied monolayer by means of appropriate and timely autonomous application and re-application. Although a number of autonomous application systems for monolayer already exist, none has proved overly successful. It is argued that whilst this is in part due to sub-optimal performance of monolayer materials, it is also due in large measure to inaccuracies and/or inappropriate design in both application systems and particularly application strategies which are not adaptive to the prevailing environmental conditions. Therefore, a control system is being developed to adaptively and spatially vary monolayer application rates according to changing conditions monitored on-site. This will form part of an autonomous electromechanical system for the optimal application and spreading of chemical monolayer. This paper reports progress towards this objective; firstly by evaluation of the design requirements for automated systems at a range of spatial scales; and secondly via the construction of a first ‘pre-prototype’ to act as an evaluation platform and concept demonstrator.