Research and development of corrugated drainage technology for agricultural drainage with geotextile blanket

• Grant number: 17/21708-2
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: July 01, 2018
• End date: March 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Mechanical Engineering Design
• Principal Investigator: Henrique Frossard
• Grantee: Henrique Frossard
• Company: Techduto Indústria e Comércio de Máquinas e Artefatos de Plásticos Ltda
• CNAE: Fabricação de tubos e acessórios de material plástico para uso na construção ; Fabricação de máquinas e equipamentos para a indústria do plástico
• City: São José dos Campos
• Associated researchers: Saulo Frossard

Abstract

In the first quarter of 2017, Brazilian agriculture increased by 13.4%, in relation to the same period in 2016, and represented 23% of total Brazilian GDP. According to CEPEA-ESALQ, in 2017 GDP growth in agribusiness should reach 0.9%. In the longer term, the Ministry of Agriculture forecasts that by 2025 there will be a growth of 30% only in grain production. These data show that there is a large market in expansion, especially considering the Brazilian economic scenario in strong crisis since mid-2012.Efficiency in the agricultural production process is extremely important to make the most of the culture practiced at the lowest possible cost and further strengthen the Brazilian economic scenario. One of the most important aspects affecting agricultural efficiency is drainage, which is responsible for providing various planting benefits by stimulating plant growth, reducing the discharge of pollutants into rivers and lakes, increasing soil and other productive capacity. One of the most useful solutions in agricultural and urban drainage is the drainage corrugated pipe installed underground, which is able to withstand surface stress such as heavy machines, for example, and is inert to chemical attack, in addition to be non-toxic. However, one of the most common problems of using this type of product is the clogging caused by particles present in the soil that end up being deposited inside the pipes. To solve this problem, the drainage pipes are enveloped with various filter media, the most common being the geotextile blanket. Techduto already manufactures and supplies HDPE corrugated drainage pipes. Currently, however, the blanket and pipes are sold separately, so the farmer must "dress" the duct with the blanket manually at the place of installation, which generates labor and delay costs. Considering this, the present project proposes the development of an innovative technology in the national scope capable of coating corrugated pipes with geotextile blanket. This technology will be called a "Covering machine" and will allow two different business models: First, Techduto will be able to directly supply the covered drainage pipes, increasing the added value of the product; Second, Techduto may sell the machine to customers so that they can cover the drainage pipes themselves. These objectives will be reached through an in-depth study to characterize the polymers that constitute these blankets, as well as mechanical design, with the support of calculations and computational simulations, for the development of the necessary technological solutions and prototyping of the solutions found for tests and validation. The development of this technology will allow, in a second stage, the manufacture of an innovative machine capable of making viable drainage pipes with higher value added that will allow a lower cost and a faster installation of drainage systems by agricultural producers and builders. (AU)