How to Size a Nozzle for Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)

PWM is gaining popularity, and there is an ever-increasing number of first-time users that need to make nozzle selections for their system. We’ve written about it here, here, and here. Recall the PWM replaces spray pressure with Duty Cycle (DC) of a pulsing solenoid as the primary means of controlling nozzle flow. The solenoid shuts […]

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Pressure Changes Spray Angles

Soybean demo plot sprayed with a contact herbicide using 110 degree air induction flat fans at 20 psi. The collapsed spray pattern did not overlap sufficiently to burn the entire crop down, leaving a striped pattern and demonstrating the poor coverage.

When we consult a nozzle catalogue we are interested in the flow and droplet sizes produced at a given pressure. Perhaps we should also consider the effect of pressure on spray angle. We have several articles discussing the collective impact of spray overlap, nozzle spacing and boom height on coverage uniformity (Check here and here […]

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Testing and Correcting Airblast Pressure

Two gauges keep each other honest – this GB (Italian-made Good Boy) is sporting a home-made assembly that cost ~$50 to assemble, including the second gauge. The silver spray paint on the black pipe prevents rust and makes it look pretty darn sharp.

The role of pressure is often underappreciated in spraying. Many airblast operators (still) don’t use rate controllers, so the only way to monitor sprayer pressure is using a single liquid-filled pressure gauge located near the pump… and it may not be trustworthy. An inaccurate pressure gauge may cause you to spray more or less product […]

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Pressure spikes and relief valves on air-assist sprayers

A properly-sized pump should produce more flow than is needed and work in conjunction with the atomizers to regulate that flow. Typical to high pressure pumps, a piston relief valve (aka regulator) should maintain the desired system pressure through the normal speed range of the sprayer, regardless of the number of booms (or boom-sections) that […]

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What Nozzle is This? (Field Sprayers)

Us this handy visual guide to identify a mystery nozzle you may find on a field sprayer. We’ve included the most common low-drift nozzles found on North American, European, and Australian sprayers. The list does not contain any conventional flat fan nozzles. It’s in alphabetical order by manufacturer. First, a reminder of the ISO colour […]

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