EP0455689A1 - Pulverisation - Google Patents
PulverisationInfo
- Publication number
- EP0455689A1 EP0455689A1 EP19900902345 EP90902345A EP0455689A1 EP 0455689 A1 EP0455689 A1 EP 0455689A1 EP 19900902345 EP19900902345 EP 19900902345 EP 90902345 A EP90902345 A EP 90902345A EP 0455689 A1 EP0455689 A1 EP 0455689A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- air
- boom
- spray
- sprayboom
- passage
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B7/00—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent materials from two or more sources, e.g. of liquid and air, of powder and gas
- B05B7/02—Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge
- B05B7/08—Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge with separate outlet orifices, e.g. to form parallel jets, i.e. the axis of the jets being parallel, to form intersecting jets, i.e. the axis of the jets converging but not necessarily intersecting at a point
- B05B7/0807—Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge with separate outlet orifices, e.g. to form parallel jets, i.e. the axis of the jets being parallel, to form intersecting jets, i.e. the axis of the jets converging but not necessarily intersecting at a point to form intersecting jets
- B05B7/0861—Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge with separate outlet orifices, e.g. to form parallel jets, i.e. the axis of the jets being parallel, to form intersecting jets, i.e. the axis of the jets converging but not necessarily intersecting at a point to form intersecting jets with one single jet constituted by a liquid or a mixture containing a liquid and several gas jets
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01M—CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS; APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS
- A01M7/00—Special adaptations or arrangements of liquid-spraying apparatus for purposes covered by this subclass
- A01M7/0003—Atomisers or mist blowers
- A01M7/0014—Field atomisers, e.g. orchard atomisers, self-propelled, drawn or tractor-mounted
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01M—CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS; APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS
- A01M7/00—Special adaptations or arrangements of liquid-spraying apparatus for purposes covered by this subclass
- A01M7/005—Special arrangements or adaptations of the spraying or distributing parts, e.g. adaptations or mounting of the spray booms, mounting of the nozzles, protection shields
Definitions
- SPRAYING This invention relates to the spraying of agricultural liquids, which include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and other materials of agricultural use.
- Electrostatic spraying can Improve the proportion of spray which actually reaches a plant, more precise control of droplet size, particularly smaller sizes of droplet, can permit the use of smaller amounts of active material for the same degree of control. However smaller droplets can not always penetrate the crop.
- Spraying machinery 1s subject to various constraints.
- the machine be 1t a tractor with boom attachment or a purpose-built machine, can not be too heavy to avoid damage to the ground.
- the amount of liquid carried 1n a given machine weight controls the area that can be covered before refilling, which can Involve a lengthy journey and time not used for spraying.
- the spray boom should have as wide a span as possible to maximise area covered per traverse, subject to the nature of the ground, and foldable for transport by road between areas to be sprayed.
- the power demand for spraying should be as small as possible to reduce demands for fuel and avoid large engines or auxiliary power sources. Given these various controls and constraints there is a strong demand for spraying techniques of improved efficiency which avoid the shortcomings of present techniques. It is an object of the present invention to provide spraying techniques which have improved efficiency of deposit of material and minimise non-target contamination.
- a method of spraying agricultural material from a sprayboom Including providing high pressure low volume air emerging along the span of the boom, causing or permitting said emerging air to entrain ambient air to produce a multiplied volume of air flowing from said boom along the length thereof, providing a source of material to be sprayed from said boom, causing or permitting material from said source to be entrained in said flow of a multiplied volume of air for spraying from said sprayboom along its length as a spray of liquid droplets.
- the air emerging along the boom may be from a linear "air mover".
- the air emerging along the boom may exhibit the Coanda effect to direct its flow.
- the multiplied volume of air may form the spray from the source.
- the material to be sprayed may be an agricultural liquid.
- the spray of liquid droplets may be formed as a fan by an hydraulic nozzle positioned just above the emerging air.
- a boom having a spanwise duct to carry pressurized air to escape through spanwise elongate nozzles at the entrance to a passage forming an ejector to entrain atmospheric air at the top of the passage to flow through the passage and having means to spray droplets for entrainment tn said entrained air flow so that mixed streams form a high volume air stream directed downwards over the whole span of the boom.
- the passage may be first convergent and divergent downstream.
- the spray droplets may be sprayed into said passage for entrainment therein in said airflow.
- the or each passage may be convergent-divergent.
- the arrangement may have the general form of an ejector to which spray is added.
- the elongate nozzles may be formed by a linear "air-mover".
- the arrangement may include active boom height control, using response to the effect of crop arranged to reflect air directed from the boom to Indicate the closeness of the crop and maintain the boom in a required position over the crops or ground,
- a height sensor may be fitted to each end of the boom and can be coupled to a valve regulating an air pressure flow at that end of the boom, so as to control the boom attitude with varying ground conditions.
- Figure 1 Is a cross section of the spray boom: the section plane being vertical and parallel to the direction of travel,
- Figure 2 1s a side section of the complete spraying machine mounted on an agricultural tractor
- Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the centre section of the spraying machine
- Figures 4 and 5 show an arrangement employing a separate ejector duct for each spray nozzle.
- Figure 4 1 s a cross section of one such duct and
- Figure 5 Is a rear elevation of part of the spray boom showing the arrangement of the ejector ducts and nozzles,
- Figure 6 shows an embodiment of the Invention where the spray nozzles are placed outside the ejector but aligned so that the spray droplets impinge on, and are entrained by, the airstream from the ejector
- Figure 7 shows an embodiment of the invention where two ejectors are used, arranged one behind the other with the spray nozzles between them,
- Figure 8 shows a schematic end view, partly sectioned, of a sprayboom forming an embodiment of the invention
- Figure 9 shows a cross-section of another form of air jet source
- the spanwise duct 1 has on its lower surface a row of closely spaced nozzles 2. These nozzles may be individual circular holes or longer slots with structural webs between them. In either case they will be shaped so as to provide a high velocity vertical airstream over the whole span of the boom.
- Below the duct 1 are positioned two spanwise bodies 3 and 4 which are shaped so that their inner surfaces form a convergent-divergent passage from top to bottom of the boom over its whole span.
- the bodies 3 and 4 can conveniently form the load bearing structure of the boom and may be made using appropriate lightweight constructions such as foam-filled, fibre reinforced plastic.
- the shape of the bodies 3 and 4 and their relationship to each other and the duct 1 are optimized so to provide an efficient linear ejector. Joining panels generally 1n the plane of the section will be necessary at Intervals along the boom to provide structural rigidity and to maintain the spacial relationship of the parts but without obstructing airflow.
- the ejector functions 1n the manner of known ejectors or jet pumps 1n that the high pressure air stream from the nozzles 2 passing Into the converging-diverging passage between 3 and 4 entrains additional air through the gaps at 5 and 6 resulting in a high-volume low-pressure downward air stream at the exit from ejector 7.
- the atomizers for the spray chemical can conveniently be positioned at or close to the exit from the ejector and as shown in Fig 1 at 8. They are fed from a manifold pipe 9 which is shown outside the body 4, but which could be incorporated within it.
- the atomizers may be of the conventional hydraulic type, or of the spinning-disc type for control of droplet size, or of the electrostatic type or of the air shear type, in which type there is interaction between liquid and air flow to produce spray. These techniques may be combined to produce electrostatically charged droplets formed by either an hydraulic or a spinning-disc atomizer. Should spinning-disc atomizers be used they can conveniently be driven by turbines operating in the airstream from the ejector.
- Figure 2 shows the spray boom mounted with Its tank, pump etc.
- the boom is shown in cross-section at 10 with a centrifugal compressor 11 mounted above It to provide the high-pressure air supply.
- the compressor may alternatively be of the positive displacement type using vanes or lobes, or may be a turbo-compressor driven by the exhaust of the engine of the prime-mover. If a mechanically driven compressor is used it may be driven from the p.t.o. of the tractor.
- Figure 2 shows a typical arrangement where the p.t.o. drives a shaft 12 mounted in bearings 13 via a universally jointed shaft 14.
- the shaft 12 is coupled to the compressor by a belt 15 running on a large driving pulley 16 and a small driven pulley 17.
- additional gearing may be required to obtain the correct rotational speed.
- the compressor may be driven by a separate engine if insufficient power is available from the prime-mover.
- Speed-related spray metering may be provided, for example by a pump for the spray chemical driven from the shaft 12 or by a land wheel where appropriate.
- Figure 3 shows a rear view of the boom, mounted on a vehicle.
- the spray liquid is contained in a tank 23.
- the centre section of the boom 18 is connected to the vehicle by known means, not shown, to eliminate oscillation and maintain its position parallel to the ground. It may also be adjustable for height.
- the outer sections of the boom are connected by hinges at 19 and 20. Additional hinges will be required in the outer sections to enable the complete boom to be folded to a convenient size for passage along public roads.
- the compressor 11 is connected to the boom by flexible connections at 21 and 22. At the boom hinge points flexible connectors are provided to join the sections of high-pressure air duct; alternatively 'plug-in' joints of the cone and socket type may be used.
- FIG 4 shows an arrangement In which each chemical spray nozzle 24 has its own separate ejector duct 25, with one or more " primary nozzles 26 fed by high-pressure air.
- the ejector ducts may be circular 1n plan when used with chemical spray nozzles giving a circular spray pattern, or may be elongated to an oval or rectangular section when used with chemical spray nozzles with an elongated distribution pattern.
- the ejector duct may conveniently be made as a plastic Injection moulding incorporating a means for fixing it to the spray boom 27, a mounting for the primary air nozzle 28 and for the chemical spray nozzle 29, which may incorporate the nozzle feed pipe.
- Figure 5 shows a rear view of the spray boom 30 mounted on a vehicle.
- the boom serves only as a structural member to carry the ejectors and chemical spray nozzles. It is connected to the vehicle by known means and has hinges to fold it for transport. Attached to the boom are the ejector ducts 25, each carrying a chemical spray nozzle 24 and a primary air nozzle 26. It will be apparent that the arrangement just described produces a substantially spanwise air and spray flow.
- the chemical spray nozzles are fed by a manifold pipe 31 and the primary air nozzles by a manifold pipe 32.
- the high pressure air supply is provided by a compressor 11 as described above.
- Figure 6 shows a further alternative embodiment of the invention.
- a linear ejector extending spanwise along the whole width of the boom provides a high-volume low-pressure downward air stream as described above.
- An array of atomizers for the spray chemical 31 are positioned outside the ejector and carried by a manifold pipe 32 which feeds the spray chemical to the atomizers.
- Each atomizer is aligned so that the chemical droplets impinge upon the airstream from the ejector along a line shown in the diagram by point 33 and are then entrained by the airstream and carried on to the crop.
- Point 33 where the chemical droplets are entrained by the air stream, can then be chosen such that each fan-shaped spray intersects that from the adjacent atomizer on each side at that point. In this way an even spread of droplets across the whole span of the boom will be applied to the crop.
- Figure 7 shows a further alternative embodiment of the invention.
- Two spanwise linear ejectors 34 and 35 are arranged one behind the other, so as to provide two separate downward airstreams at 36 and 37.
- This arrangement provides two 'curtains' of air; one in front of and one behind the spray atomizers. These air curtains will move the foliage of the crop so as to maximise spray penetration and will isolate the atomizers from horizontal air movement due to wind or forward speed. By this means the problem of spray drift can be reduced.
- the agricultural spray boom of Figure 8 is formed of a skeletal framework, 80, which supports two parallel continuous spanwise extending sources 81, 82 of air-jets. At intervals along the boomspan are spray nozzles 83 supported by the framework above and between the air-jet sources so that the spray liquid emerges from the nozzles just above the air-jets.
- the air-jet sources are the so-called linear or strip "air-movers" supplied by HMC-Brauer Limited as type SE in various lengths typically 300 and 600 millimetres as SE300 and SE600 respectively.
- the spray nozzles are LURMARK (RTH) type 80 01 flat fan hydraulic nozzles.
- the spray fan is arranged to be parallel with the span of the boom and the nozzles are spaced at about 500 millimetres apart. Fans of 80° and 110° angle are suitable but the boom may have to be used at different heights above crop to be sprayed when the angle 1s changed.
- Other nozzles may be used Including air-assisted nozzles, for example the so-called twin fluid type, one of which 1s the AIRTEC (RTM) supplied by Cleanacres Machinery Ltd.
- the exact construction used is not critical provided the boom is mechanically sound. As will be understood from the following the framework 80 should not obstruct the Ingress of air from above the boom and the exit of air and spray below the boom.
- the boom can be used in conventional manner and fitted with appropriate attitude controls.
- the air jet sources are supplied with air under pressure as indicated at 86 and 87.
- the hydraulic nozzles 83 are supplied with spray liquid as indicated at 88.
- Skirts 891 and 892 may be fitted to extend down from the boom. These may be curved, as shown, or flat. The depth and spacing of these skirts depends on the use to be made of the boom. One skirt, or none, may be used.
- the air-movers 81, 82 are about 70 millimetres apart while the skirts are about 80 to 100 millimetres apart and about 70 to 100 millimetres deep.
- the nozzles are placed so that the spraysheet, before break up into spray, extends to below the outlet of the air mover. Typically the nozzle exit 1s about five millimetres above the air-mover outlet.
- the a1r-movers make use of the well known Coanda effect.
- the a1r-movers have a very narrow lengthwise gap 90 from which air emerges and remains "attached" to the body of the a1r-mover bending around the body downwards, in the figure, while entraining a much larger volume of air drawn Into the top of the boom to flow 1n the same direction.
- the spray of liquid from the nozzle 1s also entrained 1n the air flow to be carried by the air flow down to the crop.
- the spray of liquid from the nozzle can also entrain air to augment the air flow.
- the velocity of the air emerging between skirts 891 and 892 is about three to four metres per second and is fairly uniform along the length of the boom, apart from some fall-off at the ends.
- the availability of a compressed-air supply makes possible the use of such air in the control of the height or attitude of the boom. For example the action of the crop canopy in reflecting or obstructing an air stream can be sensed and used to control the boom, while a quite small amount of air emerging in controlled manner at the end of a boom could provide rapid trimming of boom attitude.
- Figure 9 shows another form of source of an air jet which can be arranged spanwise of the boom.
- a tube 98 has a continuous or occasionally interrupted lengthwise slot 91. Over this slot are strips 92, 93 arranged to define a slit 94 through which air supplied under pressure to tube 98 can emerge as a jet in the form of a sheet.
- the strips 92, 93 are attached to tube 98 in any convenient way. If required one or both can be adjustable, using means not shown, to determine the slit size.
- the strips are of metal welded to the slotted metal tube 98 each with a continuous weld to make a seal and occasional welds to bridge the slit to give some rigidity.
- the slit can be set by a jig for this arrangement.
- a sprayboom one or two such tubes are arranged spanwise to produce downwardly directed air sheets, either directly or by Coanda effect, and entrain spray as described above. It may be possible to use the tube as part of the structure if 1t 1s metal. In another form It may be possible to extrude a light tube from plastic complete with the defined slit.
- the spray being entrained in a well-directed air stream or curtain, is contained and made resistant to drift, such as Is caused by the wind.
- the skirts are believed to further significantly improve the resistance of the spray to drift caused by the wind.
- the crop can be opened by the action of the entrained air and the boom can then be operated close to the top of the crop, further improving resistance to wind caused drift of spray.
- the velocity of the air emerging from the boom, from the skirts 1f fitted may need to be adjusted for example to suit different crop canopies. To achieve this the air supply pressure and/or the gap 90 can be adjusted.
- the techniques described permit small volumes of high pressure air to entrain much larger volumes of air which also includes spray droplets to produce efficient and effective spraying at much less air consumption than present proposals which use large volumes of low pressure air.
- the spray droplets can be produced at a size which will produce the required deposit because the entraining air flow assists and directs the droplets, which 1n the absence of air flow would have to be sized with regard to the trajectory to reach the target crop. If smaller droplets can be used a much larger area can be sprayed from a given volume of spray liquid, improving the amount of useful travel of the sprayer.
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Insects & Arthropods (AREA)
- Pest Control & Pesticides (AREA)
- Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
- Zoology (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Catching Or Destruction (AREA)
Abstract
Un procédé de pulvérisation de matière agricole à partir d'un bras de pulvérisation consiste à envoyer de l'air (86,87) sous pression et de faible volume sortant le long de l'étendue du bras (80), à permettre audit air sortant (86,87) d'entraîner de l'air ambiant afin de produire un volume multiplié d'air s'écoulant à partir dudit bras (80) sur la longueur de ce dernier. Il consiste également à ménager une source de matière (83) à pulvériser à partir dudit bras (80), à orienter ladite matière provenant de ladite source (83) dans le sens dudit écoulement du volume d'air multiplié entraîné dans ledit bras, afin de la pulvériser à partir dudit bras de pulvérisation (80) sur sa longueur comme une pulvérisation de gouttelettes de liquide.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB898901564A GB8901564D0 (en) | 1989-01-25 | 1989-01-25 | Spraying |
GB8901564 | 1989-01-25 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0455689A1 true EP0455689A1 (fr) | 1991-11-13 |
Family
ID=10650549
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP19900902345 Withdrawn EP0455689A1 (fr) | 1989-01-25 | 1990-01-25 | Pulverisation |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0455689A1 (fr) |
GB (2) | GB8901564D0 (fr) |
WO (1) | WO1990008464A1 (fr) |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2712354B1 (fr) * | 1993-11-10 | 1996-01-05 | Tecnoma | Dispositif pour produire un courant d'air ayant une forme aplatie en section transversale. |
US20100243763A1 (en) * | 2007-06-08 | 2010-09-30 | Brian George Knight | Spray apparatus |
ES2319608B1 (es) * | 2008-11-04 | 2010-08-09 | Jose Javier Bujanda Fernandez De Pierola | Distribuidor de tratamientos fitosanitarios para cultivos agricolas y plantaciones frutales. |
CN110024770A (zh) * | 2018-01-11 | 2019-07-19 | 刘其和 | 一种喷杆喷雾机的柔性喷杆 |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR56392E (fr) * | 1946-11-16 | 1952-09-23 | Walther & Cie Ag | Pulvérisateur en nappe |
FR1574708A (fr) * | 1968-02-07 | 1969-07-18 | ||
NL8502649A (nl) * | 1985-09-27 | 1987-04-16 | Homburg Machinehandel | Inrichting voor het op een gewas spuiten van een vloeistof. |
NL8603285A (nl) * | 1986-12-23 | 1988-07-18 | Munckhof J M Maschf | Spuitinrichting. |
-
1989
- 1989-01-25 GB GB898901564A patent/GB8901564D0/en active Pending
-
1990
- 1990-01-25 WO PCT/GB1990/000106 patent/WO1990008464A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1990-01-25 EP EP19900902345 patent/EP0455689A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
- 1990-01-25 GB GB9001752A patent/GB2227399B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See references of WO9008464A1 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB9001752D0 (en) | 1990-03-28 |
GB2227399A (en) | 1990-08-01 |
WO1990008464A1 (fr) | 1990-08-09 |
GB2227399B (en) | 1993-06-30 |
GB8901564D0 (en) | 1989-03-15 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 19910813 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): DE DK FR GB IT NL |
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RAP1 | Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred) |
Owner name: BRITISH TECHNOLOGY GROUP LTD |
|
17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 19921009 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN |
|
18D | Application deemed to be withdrawn |
Effective date: 19940315 |