WO2006094511B1

WO2006094511B1 - An electrostatic spraying apparatus utilizing triboelectrification

Info

Publication number: WO2006094511B1
Application number: PCT/DK2006/000140
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kristiane Oestergaard Jensen
Original assignee: Raadet For Agroindustri; Kristiane Oestergaard Jensen
Priority date: 2005-03-11
Filing date: 2006-03-10
Publication date: 2006-12-14
Also published as: EP1866097A2; WO2006094511A2; WO2006094511A3; DK1866097T3; DE602006010837D1; ATE450315T1; EP1866097B1

Abstract

An electrostatic spraying apparatus, which uses induction to charge different kinds of materials such as pesticides, paint, water or other liquids, has been developed. The electrostatic spraying system depends on a new type of spray apparatus that provides a stream of electrostatic charged droplets. The charged droplets are forced towards the target by the use of air. In the apparatus a positively or negatively charged object is placed relatively to the fluid. The charged object induces a charge in the fluid before and when the fluid reaches the droplet-forming zone. The fluid gets thereby either negatively or positively charged. The object is charged by triboelectrification. The object can be a nylon pipe. The nylon pipe gets positively charged when a cobber ring slides up and down on the nylon pipe because electrons are transferred from the nylon pipe to the copper ring.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 23 October 2006 (23.10.06)]

1. An electrostatic spraying apparatus comprising:

- a housing having a front end having an outlet for a fluid and a rear section having an inlet for the pressurised fluid,

- fluid conduction means for conducting the fluid from the inlet of the housing to or near to the front end of the housing,

- droplet forming means for providing a droplet stream from the fluid at the outlet at the front end of the housing,

- a first member and a second member, where the one member preferably is an electrically insulating material and the other member preferably is an electrically conducting material, and

- wherein the first member and the second member are capable of being relatively displaced during mutual physical contact so as to establish an electric charge transfer by triboelectricification from the first member to the second member, and

wherein at least the first member or the second member is exposed to the fluid conduction means so as to electrostatically induce a charge in the fluid, when the fluid is conducted through the fluid conduction means past at least the first member or the second member.

2. An electrostatic spraying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic spaying apparatus comprises at least one air outlet, said at least one air outlet being positioned substantiaily circumferential to or adjacent to the fluid outlet for assisting the displacement of the formed droplet steam in a preferred direction from the outlet at the front end.

3. An electrostatic spraying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic spraying apparatus Is a field sprayer, and where the fluid to be conducted is a pesticide.

4. An electrostatic spraying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic spraying apparatus is a field sprayer, and where the fluid to be conducted is a nutrient.

5. An electrostatic spraying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least the first member is exposed to the fluid conduction means so as to electrostatically induce a charge in the fluid before the fluid reaches the outlet. 15

6. An electrostatic spraying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least the second member is exposed to the fluid conduction means so as to electrostatically induce a charge in the fluid when the fluid reaches the outlet,

5

7. An electrostatic spraying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fluid conduction means and/or the droplet forming means comprises an efectricaliy conducting element, the electrically conducting element being capable of providing an additional electrical contact between the fluid and an electron reservoir such as ground.

10

8. An electrostatic spraying apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the electrically conducting element has a section positioned within the fluid conduction means.

9. An electrostatic spraying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an electrically

15 conducting element provides an additional electrical contact from the fluid to an electron reservoir, the electrically conducting element being positioned outside the housing, preferably the electrically conducting element being in electrical contact to a liquid reservoir containing the fluid to be conducted through the fluid conduction means.

20 10. An electrostatic spraying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first member and the second member are capable of being reciprocating displaced by a motive force.

11. An electrostatic spraying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first member comprises a substantially tubular section,

25

12. An electrostatic spraying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first member and/or the second member comprises an electrically insulating materials such as skin, asbestos, rabbit fur, acetate, plexiglass, bakelite, cellulose nitrate, glass, polyformaldehyde, polymethyl methacrylate, hair, ethyl cellulose, polyamide,

30 melamine, quartz, silicone elastomer, nylon, wool, fur, sifk, ceitulose acetate, cotton, paper, wood amber, resins (natural and manmade), sealing wax, rubber (natural and manmade), MYLAR, UV resist, sulphur, acetate rayon, polyester, polyurethane elastomer, celluloid, dacron, orlon, polystyrene, styrene, acrylic, SARAN, polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, KEL F, silicon+, polytetrafloroethyiene, teflon, polyvinyl chloride,

35 silicone rubber.

13. An electrostatic spraying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second member comprises a substantially ring-shaped section. 16

14. An electrostatic spraying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first member and/or the second member comprises an electrically conducting materials such as Cu, Ag, Au, NI, Zn, At, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co or any alloys thereof.