Air-Assist System for an Electrodynamic Sprayer

Abstract

ABSTRACTTHE Electrodyn spraying device, utilizing electro-dynamic principles, was introduced in England in the late 1970's. A major problem with the system has been poor penetration into a tall, dense plant canopy. An air-assist unit (utilizing rapidly moving air to accelerate spray droplets emanating from the Electrodyn) was designed to aid plant canopy penetration and increase spray deposition. The air assist system requires less than 0.56 kW/ nozzle of air power to operate and results in minimal cost addition to the system. The air-assist unit substantially increased the spray droplet velocity without seriously affecting droplet size. Fluorometric tracing of the spray into a 10-cm tall cover of large crabgrass was used to examine plant canopy penetration. A wide or intermediate cone-shaped air pattern provided increased spray droplet penetration into the plant canopy when compared to the original electrodynamic sprayer and hydrualic nozzles. With a narrow cone setting, the system increased total chemical deposition over fan hydraulic nozzles by 56%..