Design and development of a disc-windmill atomizer for aerial applications

To improve the efficiency of aerial applications of pesticides it is essential to get a greater fraction of the emitted formulation to the true biological target. To do this and at the same ensure that environmental pollution is at a minimum requires a careful choice of droplet size spectrum. The best atomizers currently available commercially for aircraft use produce at best only about 40% of their emission in sizes within 25% of the desired size and in many cases the percentages is less than half this value. A wide range of droplet sizes in an emission makes it impossible to achieve the precision placement sprays required for example in herbicide applications and in the treatment of oil slicks, whilst a large fraction of the emission is wasted when small droplets are required. Design of an atomizer to emit most of its output within 25% of a specified size at flow rates suitable for aerial applications was conducted.