Swirl Chamber Nozzle: Design, Development and Construction

The application of pesticides is often not considered in any detail in university and polytechnic curricula, especially in developing countries. Because application equipment involves chemicals and issues of toxicity and environment, the topic is frequently omitted from agricultural engineering courses. This, in turn, means that extension agents are weak in this area reinforcing the need for effective practical training for those who apply pesticides. In this study, an experimental swirl chamber nozzle (SCN) was designed, developed and constructed. Thereafter, a series of tests were carried out on a fabricated and caliberated test rig with a view to evaluate the effect of the system pressure and the nozzle exit orifice diameter variation on the nozzle discharge and the droplet penetration range. A swirl element with three square-sectioned helical grooves cut along its outside surface served as the device for generating the turbulent movement of liquid inside the swirl chamber before a rotating cone-shaped liquid sheet developed at the exit orifice. The prototype was tested with four different orifice plates with orifice diameters of 1.0 mm, 2.0 mm, 3.0 mm, and 4.0 mm respectively.