Flat Spray Nozzle for Intra-Soil Application of Liquid Mineral Fertilizers

This paper deals with the investigation of the performance of a nozzle used for intra-soil application of liquid mineral fertilizers (LMF), determination of the range of spray angle, fall angle, droplet size, spray distribution characteristics, and substantiation of its dependence on the nozzle design parameters. The proposed nozzle has a jet-impact channel and deflector slot design with very compact overall dimensions. It can be mounted on a deep tillage knife (wing) with a height of 12-14 mm and provides flat fan spray with a high spraying angle. The following range of effective parameters has been determined: the feed channel diameter is 1-1.6 mm, the slot height is 0.35-0.7 mm, and impact surface diameter 5-8 mm. The resultant spray angle is 170-175°, and the fall angle diapason is 5-10°. These parameters contribute to determination of the tillage knife design parameters such as knife height and the height of spray window, as well as the nozzle installation parameters such as t, n and m in future studies. The results can be useful for nozzle industries, particularly in developing the flat fan nozzles with wide spray angle. Overall, the nozzle design is applicable to use for intra-soil application of liquid mineral fertilizes with deep tillage knives.