Effects of Liquid Viscosity on Agricultural Nozzle Droplet Parameters

To discuss the effects of pesticide viscosity on the atomisation characteristics of an agricultural nozzle, glycerite with different mass fractions was prepared to replace the pesticide. First, the atomisation region of the nozzle was meshed and sized. Second, the speed and kinetic energy of the droplets at different positions in the atomisation region were measured by Phase Doppler Anemometry. The results demonstrated that the Sauter mean diameter, volume mean diameter and arithmetic mean diameter of droplets first decreased and then increased gradually in the axial direction of the atomisation region. Surface waves of a certain pattern were formed on the liquid surface, which was ejected by the disturbance of external air resistance. As the distance increased, the amplitude increased and the wave crest was broken into small droplets. These droplets then collided and agglomerated into large droplets under the effect of gravity. Droplets had an approximately symmetric distribution on the radial direction of the atomisation region, and the droplets were small in the middle and large at the two ends. The droplet size was positively related to the radial distance. Compared with the droplet speed at the two ends, the droplet speed at the axis was higher and the droplet size was smaller. Moreover, the kinetic energy of the droplets along the axial direction decreased sharply and then increased slowly. Droplets with high viscosity at the near end of the nozzle had small kinetic energy, and the effects of liquid viscosity on the atomisation characteristics of a nozzle could not be neglected. The droplet kinetic energy slightly increased at the far end.

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.

Simulation and experimental research on droplet flow characteristics and deposition in airflow field

In order to study the motion law of droplet flow under the airflow action of long-range air-blast sprayers,a CFD-based 3D model was established for the air-blast sprayer duct and its external airflow field,and the discrete phase model was introduced to simulate the motion of droplet flow in the airflow.The simulation data of the droplet flow trajectory,droplet flow parameters and droplet deposition were obtained by establishing the monitoring sections and bilateral coupling calculation in the airflow field.Results showed that gravity had an obvious effect on droplets and large droplets settled faster.Some of the larger droplets were formed by polymerization in droplets motion.The smaller droplets were transported further along with the airflow,and the long-range sprayer has a significant effect on the directional transport of small droplets.Besides,the spraying swath in the direction perpendicular to the range enlarged gradually with the increase of the spraying range.At the end of the range,the diffuse and drifting of the droplets were dominant.Given that the outlet airflow velocity of the sprayer duct was 25.01 m/s and the spray pressure 1.8 MPa,the maximum motion distances of aerosol,mist,fine mist and coarse mist in the airflow field were 18.5 m,19.5 m,17.5 m and 10.5 m,respectively.Droplet size and number as well as number density and volume density of droplet flow on all monitoring sections showed a regression function with changes in the distance of the spraying range.The simulation results of the model adopted in this paper were verified by Chi-square test between the simulation results of the droplet deposition and the spray measurement results.Research results provide a new method for the study of orchard air-blast spraying technology and references for the optimization of spraying technology.