Plausibility of variable coverage high range spraying: Experimental studies of an externally air-assisted electrostatic nozzle

Abstract

A system for spraying liquid pesticides to crops and orchards combines an induction based electrostatic nozzle and externally air-assisted manually controlled mechanical device. In this paper, an innovative concept has been executed for variable coverage high range spraying through an external air-assistance system, which supplies compressed air to assist the finely divided charged liquid droplets by farming a virtual covering around the fine mist of liquid spray. External air-assistive device consists of movable support for air supplies whose variation of cone angle is from parallel spray center line (0°) to maximum spray cone angle (25°). This provides a means to transport electrostatically charged fine mist of liquid droplets to intended target with variable spray coverage angle of target, applicable in high wind and transient conditions with enhanced performance without degradation of charge-to-mass ratio. The results of applied induction electrification process were characterized by a charge-to-mass ratio as a function of applied voltage, target distance, and wind current. It has been shown that the wind current has an insignificant (p value=0.021615) and significant (p value=0.000325) effects on the performance of the electrostatic nozzle at 99% confidence level with and without external air-assistive mechanical device respectively. The experimental results are in good agreements with proposed concept.