Experimental Study on the Droplet Size and Charge-to-Mass Ratio of an Air-Assisted Electrostatic Nozzle

Shiqun Dai, Jiayao Zhang, Weidong Jia, Mingxiong Ou, Huitao Zhou, Xiang Dong, Hong Chen, Ming Wang, Yu Chen and Shuai Yang
Additional contact information
Shiqun Dai: High-Tech Key Laboratory of Agricultural Equipment and Intelligence of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Jiayao Zhang: High-Tech Key Laboratory of Agricultural Equipment and Intelligence of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Weidong Jia: High-Tech Key Laboratory of Agricultural Equipment and Intelligence of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Mingxiong Ou: High-Tech Key Laboratory of Agricultural Equipment and Intelligence of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Huitao Zhou: High-Tech Key Laboratory of Agricultural Equipment and Intelligence of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Xiang Dong: State Key Laboratory of Soil-Plant-Machinery System Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences, Beijing 100083, China
Hong Chen: School of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Ming Wang: School of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Yu Chen: School of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Shuai Yang: School of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 6, 1-15

Abstract: An air-assisted electrostatic nozzle uses a combination of air-assisted atomization and electrostatic spray technology. This article optimizes the existing air-assisted electrostatic nozzles in terms of structural design to obtain a higher charge-to-mass ratio and a smaller droplet size. The optimized air-assisted electrostatic nozzle was studied experimentally, and the effects of liquid pressure, air pressure and applied voltage on the droplet size and charge-to-mass ratio were investigated. Comparing the effects of air pressure, liquid pressure and applied voltage on the charge-to-mass ratio and droplet size, the relationship curves of the droplet size and charge-to-mass ratio under each voltage were fitted using the Rayleigh charge limit theory. For a higher CMR during the spray operation, applied voltages between 2.5 kV and 3 kV, an air pressure between 0.4 bar and 0.6 bar, and a liquid pressure of less than 0.9 bar could be chosen. The optimized air-assisted electrostatic nozzles not only have small droplets but also have high charge-to-mass ratios, reducing the need for pesticide use and thus protecting human health and the environment.

Keywords: air-assisted electrostatic nozzle; droplet size; charge-to-mass ratio (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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