Design and Experimental Testing of an Electric Field-Driven Droplet Injection Device

The properties of droplets produced by existing on-demand injection systems are typically determined by the nozzle diameter,i.e.,only droplets with size larger than this diameter can be obtained.To solve this problem,a system for electricfield-driven droplet injection and deposition was developed,and the related performances were compared with those of a standard pneumatic system.The results show that the diameter of droplets gen-erated accordingly can be significantly smaller than the nozzle diameter.In particular,the effects of frequency and duty ratio on the number of droplets were studied by assuming microcrystalline wax as work material.A deposi-tion matrix was obtained by using a nozzle with a diameter of 200μm.The average diameter of the matrix was 80.17μm with a standard deviation of 2.65μm and the average spacing was 301.25μm with a standard deviation of 6.80μm.Four deposition states after droplet injection were considered and verified under different velocities of F60,F10,F3,and F0.We also provide an explanation for the existence of a series of inclined columns showing up during the deposition processs.

Effect of Velocity Ratio,Viscosity Ratio,Contact Angle,and Channel Size Ratio on Droplet Formation

This study uses a T-junction to examine the effects of different parameters(velocity ratio,viscosity,contact angle,and channel size ratio)on the generation of microdroplets,related rate,and size.More specifically,numerical simulations are exploited to investigate situations with a velocity varying from 0.004 to 1.6 m/s for the continuous phase and from 0.004 to 0.8 m/s for the dispersed phase,viscosity ratios(0.668,1,6.689,10,66.899),contact angle 80°<θ<270°and four different canal size ratios(1,1.5,2 and 4).The results show that canal size influences droplet size and the generation rate.The contact angle has an impact on the form and the quality of generated droplets.Moreover,the relationship between velocity and viscosity ratios,droplet size,and generation rate is non-monotonic.

Droplets diameter distribution using maximum entropy formulation combined with a new energy-based sub-model

The maximum entropy principle(MEP) is one of the first methods which have been used to predict droplet size and velocity distributions of liquid sprays. This method needs a mean droplets diameter as an input to predict the droplet size distribution. This paper presents a new sub-model based on the deterministic aspects of liquid atomization process independent of the experimental data to provide the mean droplets diameter for using in the maximum entropy formulation(MEF). For this purpose, a theoretical model based on the approach of energy conservation law entitled energy-based model(EBM) is presented. Based on this approach, atomization occurs due to the kinetic energy loss. Prediction of the combined model(MEF/EBM) is in good agreement with the available experimental data. The energy-based model can be used as a fast and reliable enough model to obtain a good estimation of the mean droplets diameter of a spray and the combined model(MEF/EBM) can be used to well predict the droplet size distribution at the primary breakup.

The numerical simulation of the movements and thermal states of atomized metal droplets in the spray forming process

Numerical simulation was performed in an atomizing chamber to investigate the movements and thermal states of the atomized metal droplets in the spray forming process. The velocity, temperature and solid fractions of metal droplets with different diameters and under different atomizing pressures were investigated. The results indicate that a higher atomizing pressure results in the increased flying velocity of the metal droplets and a decrease in the cone-shaped angle formed by their flight paths. Synchronously, the cooling of the metal droplets is accelerated and the time of the complete solidification process is shortened. Under the same atomization pressure, large metal droplets have a lower flying speed and a lower rate of temperature decrease in the atomizing chamber than small metal droplets. In addition, metal droplets flying along the edge of the atomizing region cool faster than those flying in the core region.

Effects of the growing-maize canopy and irrigation characteristics on the ability to funnel sprinkler water

Stemflow is vital for supplying water,fertilizer,and other crop essentials during sprinkler irrigation.Exploring the spatial and temporal variations of crop stemflow and its influencing factors will be essential to preventing soil water and nutrient ion's migration to deeper layers,developing,and optimizing effective sprinkler irrigation schedules.Based on the two-year experimental data,we analyzed the variation patterns(stemflow amount,depth,rate,and funneling ratio)of maize stemflow during the growing season,and clarified its vertical distribution pattern.Meanwhile,effects of sprinkler irrigation and maize morphological parameters on stemflow were investigated.The results showed that stemflow increased gradually as maize plant grew.Specifically,stemflow was small at the pre-jointing stage and reached the maximum at the late filling stage.The upper canopy generated more stemflow than the lower canopy until the flare opening stage.After the tasseling stage,the middle canopy generated more stemflow than the other positions.Variation in canopy closure at different positions was the main factor contributing to the above difference.As sprinkler intensity increased,stemflow also increased.However,the effect of droplet size on stemflow was inconsistent.Specifically,when sprinkler intensity was less than or equal to 10 mm/h,stemflow was generated with increasing droplet size.In contrast,if sprinkler intensity was greater than or equal to 20 mm/h,stemflow tended to decreased with increasing droplet size.Compared with other morphological parameters,canopy closure significantly affected the generation of stemflow.Funneling ratio was not significantly affected by plant morphology.Based on the results of different sprinkler intensities,we developed stemflow depth versus canopy closure and stemflow rate versus canopy closure power function regression models with a high predictive accuracy.The research findings will contribute to the understanding of the processes of stemflow involving the hydro-geochemical cycle of agro-ecosystems and the implementation of cropland management practices.

Effects of Water-Soluble Co-Solvent on Properties of W/O Pickering Emulsions

Effects of water-soluble co-solvents （WSCs）on the properties of water/oil Picketing emulsions were investigated. Picketing emulsions were prepared in the system of 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene （TMB）/hydrophobic sil- ica/water with varied concentrations of WSCs （ethanol, acetic acid and glycerin）. Mean droplet diameter distribu- tions of the obtained emulsions were studied to investigate the effects of WSCs types and concentrations. The results demonstrated that mean droplet diameter distributions decreased at first and then increased with the increase of WSC concentration. Moreover, the effect of WSC concentration on the phase inversion locus was further investi- gated. At the same time, infrared radiation （IR）spectrometer was used to investigate the mechanism. The results showed that the WSC attaching on hydrophobic silica changed the wettability of the particles, which facilitated the formation and phase inversion of the emulsion. The hydrogen bonds between the co-solvent groups attaching on the solid particles made a great effect on the droplet size of the emulsion and strengthened the interaction among emulsifiers. Overall, proper WSC was in favor of the stability of Picketing emulsion.

Response of droplet parameters to liquid viscosity in the flow field of an air-blast sprayer

The physical properties of sprayed droplets such as viscosity affect their deposition on the target.In order to understand the response characteristics of droplet parameters to the viscosity of a spray solution,a three-dimensional model of the external flow field of an air-blast sprayer based on computational fluid dynamics(CFD)was established according to the actual spray range and the sprayer duct structure.The change rules of droplet diameter and droplet density with distance under different viscosities of the spray solution in the flow field were obtained through numerical solution of the CFD model.The reliability of the model was verified by a chi-squared test comparing the numerical calculations with the results of field experiments.The results showed that the change rule of droplet parameters in an airflow field under different values of the spray solution viscosity was consistent.With the increase in the axial distance,the droplet size decreased initially,then increased,and finally decreased,while the droplet density gradually decreased.Moreover,the greater the spray solution viscosity,the shorter the conveying distance of the droplets in the axial direction,although viscosity was helpful in reducing the droplet drift.In addition,at the same axis distance,with the increased viscosity of the spray solution,the droplet size increased,and the sedimentation of the droplets was more rapid,while the density of the droplets decreased.The results provided a new framework for the study of air-blast spraying technology and serve as a reference for the optimization of the sprayer structure and the preparation method for spray solutions.

EVOLUTION OF LIQUID WATER CONTENT IN A SEA FOG CONTROLLED BY A HIGH-PRESSURE PATTERN

On March 16–17, 2008, a sea fog occurred in Dianbai in the west of Guangdong Province and was accompanied by a high-pressure synoptic system. Using comprehensive observation datasets, this study analyzes the evolution of liquid water content during this sea fog and investigates the relationships between liquid water content and the average diameters and count densities of fog droplets, air temperature, wind speed and turbulence exchanges. The main results are presented as follows. (1) The sea fog showed a quasi-periodic oscillation characteristic, i.e., it developed, disappeared and then developed again. (2) During the sea fog, the number of fog droplets changed significantly while the changes in average diameter of the fog droplets were relatively small. The development and disappearance of the sea fog correlated significantly with the fog droplet numbers. (3) The air-cooling mechanism played a significant role in sea fog formation and development. However, the influences of this mechanism were not evident during fog persistence. (4) During sea fog formation, weak turbulence exchanges were helpful for fog formation. During sea fog development and persistence, liquid water content increased when turbulence exchanges weakened, and vice versa. The changes in turbulence exchanges were closely related to the quasi-periodic oscillations observed in sea fog presence.

Evaluation on Application and Spraying Effect of Air-Assisted Sprayer in Apple Orchard with Dwarfing Rootstocks

The application and spraying effect of 3 WG-1200 A air-assisted sprayer in dwarfing rootstock apple orchard were evaluated by investigating the droplet density, coverage and volume median diameter(VMD) in different canopy layers(2.0, 1.5, 1.0 m) and five directions(east, south, west, north and middle) of apple trees. The results showed that the droplet density was 166.99 per square centimeter, the coverage was 48.23%, and the VMD was 138.63 μm. The droplet density in different canopy layers of the trees had consistent trend with the coverage. The droplet density and coverage in the upper and middle canopy(2.0 m and 1.5 m) had no significant difference, but they were both higher than those in the lower canopy, while the VMD in different canopy layers showed an opposite trend. The change trends of the coverage and VMD in the five directions were consistent, and the values in the middle and east were the highest, followed by the north, south and west, respectively. The results indicated that droplet characteristics of the 3 WG-1200 A air-assisted sprayer met the basic requirements for pest and pathogen control. This study provides a theoretical basis and data support for the application and improvement of orchard application equipments in dwarfing rootstock apple orchard.

Influences of nozzle parameters and low-pressure on jet breakup and droplet characteristics

Experiments were carried out to investigate the influences of nozzle geometric parameters and injection pressure on jet breakup characteristics using a high-speed photography(HSP)technique.The flow rates and spraying ranges of sprinkler with different nozzles were measured.In this research,HSP technique was also used to photograph the drops emitted by sprinkler with different nozzles at different pressures,photographs were taken at different horizontal distances from the sprinkler and the equivalent circle diameter was used to represent the particle sizes.Based on HSP technology,the effects of flow velocity and nozzle geometric parameters on jet breakup length were studied,and the droplet diameters with different nozzle types were obtained.The result showed that for the sprinkler with different nozzles,the breakup length decreased with the increases of pressures.At the nearby(3-9 m)region and distant(12-18 m)region of sprinkler,the droplet diameters of sprinkler with type B nozzle were the largest,which meant the sprinkler with type B nozzle was the optimal choice by synthesizing the droplet diameter distribution.The fitting relationship of jet breakup length with Reynolds number and Weber number(Re and We),and the regression equation of the end droplet diameters were deduced with errors of less than 5%and 4%respectively.

Design and experiment on atomizer parameter of impinging low-speed centrifugal atomization sprayer

Atomizers were designed with different atomization parameters to obtain droplets that satisfy optimal particle size requirements for an impinging-type low-speed centrifugal atomizing sprayer.The main factors affecting droplet size are turntable speed,the number of teeth and the tooth shape of the toothed disc.Winner318 software was used to evaluate droplet sizes for different structures and the working parameters of the atomizer.The response surface method and Design-Expert were used to analyze the effect of each factor.The response surface analysis of the effect of structural and working parameters of the atomizer on the interaction between the volume medium diameter of the droplet and the spectral width of the droplet size was used to establish the atomizer droplet Granular spectrum prediction model.Optimal design fitting formulas are obtained,and the droplet sizes required for pesticides to control flying insect pests,to control the growth of reptile larvae,and the use of spraying fungicides to prevent crop damage were determined.This research provides a product not only similar to those in the market,but also the theoretical basis and references for innovation,development,and optimization of centrifugal atomization technology.

Wetting property of smooth and textured hydrophobic surfaces under condensation condition

Static and dynamic wetting behaviors of sessile droplet on smooth,microstructured and micro/nanostructured surface under condensation condition are systematically studied.In contrast to the conventional droplet wetting on such natural materials by dropping,we demonstrate here that when dropwise condensation occurs,the sessile droplet will transit from the Cassie-Baxter wetting state to the Wenzel wetting state or partial Cassie-Baxter wetting state on the microstructured surface or the micro/nanostructured surface,which leads to a strong adhesion between the droplet and the substrate.In contrast,the apparent contact angle and the sliding angle on the smooth surface changes a little before and after the condensation because of small roughness.Theoretical analysis shows that the roughness factor controls the adhesion force of the droplet during condensation,and a theoretical model is constructed which will be helpful for us to understand the relationship between the adhesion force and the geometry of the surface.