- Previous Article
- Next Article
- Table of Contents
Atomization and Sprays, Vol.22, No.12, 997-1010, 2012
AIRSPEED AND ORIFICE SIZE AFFECT SPRAY DROPLET SPECTRA FROM AN AERIAL ELECTROSTATIC NOZZLE FOR ROTARY-WING APPLICATIONS
The aerial electrostatic spraying system patented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) is a unique aerial application system that inductively charges spray droplets for the purpose of increasing deposition and efficacy. While this system has many potential benefits, no published data exist that describe how changes in airspeed or nozzle orifice size affect the droplet spectra of charged sprays at rotary-wing airspeeds. This study quantified these effects in a controlled wind tunnel at airspeeds from 80 to 177 km/h. These tests were conducted at the USDA-ARS Aerial Application Technology research facilities in College Station, Texas. Laser diffraction data showed that increases in airspeed generally produced smaller spray droplets for all nozzle orifices tested, as quantified by standard spray droplet parameters. Generally, a decrease in nozzle orifice size increased the fineness of the spray droplet spectra at all airspeeds but also increased the charge-to-mass ratio of the spray, which can improve spray deposition. The results from this study will help aerial applicators better understand how changes in rotary-wing airspeeds and nozzle orifice size affect droplet size from aerial electrostatic nozzles.
Keywords:electrostatic charging;helicopter;aerial application;aerial spraying;agricultural aviation;laser diffraction