Experimental study of the influence factors of the droplet size of rotary nozzles during manned helicopter spraying operations

Abstract

The droplet size significantly affects the performance of aerial spraying operations. Thus, it is crucial to develop rotary nozzles for helicopter spraying operations and analyze the influence of droplet size. We conducted a calibration test of the nozzle rotation speed to analyze the effects of air velocity, blade installation angle, hub diameter, and blade length on the rotation speed. The results showed that the rotation speed increased with an increase in air velocity and nozzle diameter and decreased with an increase in the blade angle. The rotation speed of three types of rotary nozzles was measured in the range of 576–15 358 r/min. A high-speed wind tunnel test was conducted to determine the droplet size of the rotary nozzles at different rotation speeds, spray flow rates, and hub mesh numbers. The influence degree of the three factors on the droplet size was rotation speed > spray flow rate > mesh number. The multiple linear regression equation of the volume median diameter (VMD) of the droplet size was obtained. The droplet size obtained from wind tunnel and flight tests at 5000 and 7000 r/min was compared. The droplet size was in the range of 148.56–259.39 μm and was slightly larger under wind tunnel conditions than during the flight test. The relative width of the droplet spectrum was small for both test methods, indicating that the droplet size distribution of the three rotary nozzles was uniform. Finally, the spray nozzles were used for insect control in forest areas and achieved a control efficiency of 94.6. This study provides a reference for optimizing the operating parameters of spraying nozzles and improving the performance of helicopter-based low-volume spraying operations.