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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Wooster, Ohio » Application Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #194727
Title: SPRAY CHARACTERISTICS AND WIND TUNNEL EVALUATION OF DRIFT REDUCTION POTENTIAL WITH AIR INDUCTION AND CONVENTIONAL FLAT FAN NOZZLE

Author
item GULER, H - OSU
item Zhu, Heping
item OZKAN, H - OSU
item Derksen, Richard
item YU, Y - OSU
item Krause, Charles

Submitted to: ASABE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/20/2006
Publication Date: 7/12/2006
Citation: Guler, H., Zhu, H., Ozkan, H.E., Derksen, R.C., Yu, Y., Krause, C.R. 2006. Spray characteristics and wind tunnel evaluation of drift reduction potential with air induction and conventional flat fan nozzle [Abstract]. American Society Agricultural Biological Engineers, Annual International Meeting. Paper No. 06111.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Wind tunnel experiments were conducted to assess spray deposits on the wind tunnel floor beyond 0.4 m downwind distance from the nozzles, and airborne deposits at 2.1 m downwind from the spray discharge point with air velocity ranging from 1 to 5 m/s. Various size of air induction nozzles with open and sealed air in take hole and conventional flat fan nozzles were used in the tests. During the tests, the operating pressure for air induction nozzles with open and sealed air in take hole and conventional flat fan nozzles was adjusted to produce equal flow rates. The orifice size of the conventional flat fan nozzles was close to the orifice size of the air induction nozzles. Droplet sizes and velocities from the nozzles were measured with the Oxford lasers imaging systems. At the same operating pressure, air induction nozzles with sealed air intake holes had higher flow rate than those with open holes because of the energy loss by venturi effect. For the same flow rate of 4.65 L/min with large orifice size, the volume median diameter of droplets from the air induction nozzle with open air holes, air induction nozzle with sealed holes, and conventional flat fan nozzle was 403, 511, and 420 µm, respectively. For the same flow rate of 0.93 L/min with small orifice size, the volume median diameter of droplets from the air induction nozzle with open air holes, air induction nozzle with sealed holes, and conventional flat fan nozzle was 263, 254, and 254 µm, respectively. There was no significant difference in both ground and airborne deposits for the air induction nozzles with open and sealed air intake holes and conventional flat fan nozzles when their discharge flow rates were equal. Therefore, conventional flat fan nozzles when operated at low pressure could achieve the equal effectiveness in drift reduction potential as the air induction nozzles.