Abstract
Agitation inside agricultural sprayer tanks can be studied while using an international standard procedure, based on obtaining internal samples of liquid. However, in practice, this test is not easy to perform. Herein, we propose the explicit study of the mixing procedure with biphasic computer simulations using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). An experimental test was performed on a 3000 L tank of a commercial air-assisted sprayer, with two different agitation system configurations, in order to compare the results of several theoretical physical models of biphasic flows for CFD, both Eulerian and Lagrangian. From the analysis of these theoretical models, we conclude that the Volume of Fluid model is not viable and the Discrete Phase Model produces erroneous results, while the Eulerian and Mixture models can both be useful. However, the results obtained suggest that complex streams generated by real-world agitation systems produce more errors in calculations. Both models can be conducted in the design phase, prior to the implementation of the machine. In addition, the computer simulations allow for researchers to analyse the mixing process in detail, making it possible to evaluate the efficiency of an agitation system according to the time that is required to reach mixture homogeneity.
Highlights
Agricultural pesticides are widely used to fight against fungi, insects, and weeds
After presenting the experimental results, the results that were obtained from the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations with the different multiphase models are presented and discussed
Samples were taken three different levels of the tank: 10%, 50%, and 90% of the liquid height, located in a vertical line at threeeach different of the
Summary
Agricultural pesticides are widely used to fight against fungi, insects, and weeds These products are applied with different types of sprayers, but their use generally requires dissolution in a water tank at the manufacturer recommended concentration. These tanks have agitation systems that move the liquid to achieve homogeneity and prevent sedimentation. After introducing a tracer to the solution, this procedure requires taking samples at three different levels after 10 min of agitation, and repeating the process 16 h later. This procedure is time-consuming and labor intensive. Several methods have been proposed to more efficiently study agitation in sprayer tanks, including the use of turbidity meters [3,4], photography of transparent tanks [5], glass microsphere sedimentation studies [6], and correlating the homogeneity of the solution with measurements of velocities in the liquid of the tank [7]
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