Evaluation of Flat Fan Nozzles Operating Parameters Under Conditions of Accelerated Boundary and Destructive Wear

Abstract

Two tests were carried out to measure the standard flat fan nozzles wear during a specific period of an accelerated wear procedure. The first test aimed at getting 10% increase in the flow rate compared to the nominal flow rate, which is the threshold to replace the nozzles according to the nozzles testing standards. The second test was to wear the nozzles intensively (100 hours of accelerated wear), which represents the use of nozzles beyond the allowed threshold. The results showed that the flow rate reached 1.31 l·min−1 (equal to 10% increase) for the tested nozzles after 35 hours of the wear test. For the second test, the 10% increase of the flow rate was reached after approximately 30 hours. The wear rate reached 27.5% at the end of the test and this is 2.7 times more than the standardized threshold.

Spray Nozzle Wear Effects on Droplet Population

“…Accelerated wear tests using highly abrasive materials have been used by researchers; however, there is a concern that the results may not accurately represent the relative wear rates of various nozzle materials used to spray common pesticides (Parafiniuk et al, 2018). On the other hand, the results of field trials with this approach would be very imprecise, since each farmer uses different formulations and mixtures in the spray tank mixture, and each farmer and harvest varies the number of hours of sprayer use.…”

“…However, part of the product does not reach the target because of the incorrect choice of the spray nozzle or its wear, which affects the droplet pattern homogeneity and directly influences the target coverage, causing drift losses and environmental contamination (Bueno et al, 2017). Thus, the correct selection of spray nozzles or droplet-generating devices is fundamental to obtaining satisfactory and efficient results in hydraulic applications (Parafiniuk et al, 2018). The misuse of pesticides due to the application of worn-out nozzles translates into a higher operational cost, increased risks of environmental pollution, and, in some cases, causing direct damage to the plant (Milanowski et al, 2022).…”