Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T06:44:11.638Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Rotor induced air movements and their effects on droplet dispersal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

C. S. Parkin*
Affiliation:
CIBA-GEIGY Agricultural Aviation Research Unit, Cranfield

Extract

The dispersal of droplets sprayed from an aircraft, be it fixed or rotary winged, is affected by influences which can be placed in four categories:

  • 1. Particle characteristics e.g. terminal velocity.

  • 2. Aircraft wake.

  • 3. Meteorology.

  • 4. Nozzle or atomiser position.

Although all four categories combine to produce a particular application the relative importance of each influence varies with particular circumstances. Large particles for instance, are little influenced by air movement and so aircraft wake and meteorology are unimportant. Small droplets, on the other hand, have low terminal velocities and are more easily affected by air movements. Situations where wake predominates over meteorology are usually those where flying heights and wind speeds are low. For example, in Ultra Low Volume spraying, Lawson and Uk (1979) found wake effects at low flying heights.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1979 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

c/o Cranfield Institute of Technology, Cranfield, Bedford MK43 0AL.

References

Akesson, N. B. and Yates, W. E. (1963). Research and development of chemical distribution equipment for agricultural aircraft in California. J Roy Aeronaut Soc, Vol 67, No 636, pp 760767.Google Scholar
Crosse-Upcott, A. R. W. (1978). Non-swarming adult red locust detection with light turbine helicopters. Agric Aviation, Vol 19, No 2, pp 5763.Google Scholar
Druzynski, J. (1978). Utilisation de 1'helicoptre pour la protection du milieu nature’ du Pare National Swietokryski. UN Economic. Commission for Europe, Aero-Agro Seminar Paper R20. Warsaw, Poland.Google Scholar
Erb, L. H. (1969). Rotary wing developments and their influence on agricultural aviation. Proc 4th Int Agric Aviation Congr, pp 96107.Google Scholar
Gessow, A. and Myers, G. C. (1952). Aerodynamics of Helicopters, Macmillan, New York.Google Scholar
Johnstone, D. R. (1961). Dosage distribution on potatoes sprayed by helicopter, using a fluorescent tracer assessment technique, Tropical Pesticide Research Unit, Porton, Report No 189.Google Scholar
Johnstone, D. R. and Mathews, G. A. (1964). Tests to determine the swath pattern and spray droplet size provided by a boom and nozzle installation fittted to a Hiller UH-12E helicopter. Tropical Pesticides Res Unit, Porton, Report No 279.Google Scholar
Lawson, T. J. and Uk, S. (1979). The influence of wind turbulence, crop characteristics and flying height on the dispersal of aerial sprays. Atmos Env (in Press).Google Scholar
Lee, C. W. and Bebbington, R. (1968). Aerial spraying of coffee: calibration of a boom and nozzle installation on a Hughes 300 AG helicopter. Tropical Pesticides Research Institute. Arusha, Tanzania Misc Rep No 642.Google Scholar
Reed, W. H. (1953). An analytical study of the effect of airplane wake on the lateral dispersion of aerial sprays. NACS TN 3032.Google Scholar
Ripper, W. E. (1955). Spraying of crops by helicopter. Trans Soc of Engrs, pp 3354.Google Scholar
Ripper, W. E. and Tudor, P. (1948). The development of a helicopter spraying machine. Bull Ent Res, Vol 39, pp 112.Google Scholar
Saunders, G. H. (1957). Dynamics of helicopter flight. Wiley-Interscience, New York.Google Scholar
Shapiro, J. (1955). Principles of helicopter engineering. Temple Press, London.Google Scholar
Smith, M. R. (1972). Agricultural Res at Mississipi State, University Progress Report, Mississipi State University.Google Scholar
Trayford, R. S. and Welch, L. W. (1977). Aerial spraying a simulation of factors influencing the distribution and recovery of liquid droplets. J Agric Eng Res, Vol 22, pp 183196.Google Scholar
Wooley, D. H. (1962). A note on helicopter spray distribution. Agric Aviation, Vol 4, pp 4347.Google Scholar