Retention and Spread Capability of Impacted Droplets with Surfactant and Hydrocolloid Based Adjuvants

2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 1883-1894
Author(s):  
JohnPaul R. Abbott ◽  
Heping Zhu ◽  
Hongyoung Jeon

HighlightsRetention and spread of droplets with seven adjuvants were investigated on flat leaves.Surface tension of spray solutions, leaf wettability, and roughness strongly affected droplet retention and spread.Complete droplet retention occurred on hydrophilic leaves with all adjuvants and concentrations.High retention and spread on superhydrophobic leaves were achieved with the organo-silicone adjuvant.No retention occurred on superhydrophobic leaf surfaces with the hydrocolloid polymer adjuvant.Abstract. To optimize spray application efficiency, it is necessary to understand how the addition of adjuvants modifies the deposition properties of spray droplets on leaf surfaces due to variations in adhesive characteristics, such as roughness and wettability. Retention and spread of droplets with seven commercially available adjuvants were tested and compared at different concentrations. Tests were conducted with three leaf surfaces ranging in roughness and wettability from very smooth and hydrophilic to very rough and superhydrophobic. The adjuvants were formulated with non-ionic surfactant, crop oil, seed oil, organo-silicone, hydrocolloid polymer, or combinations of these agents as primary ingredients. Droplets of approximately 340 µm diameter were emitted from a streamed mono-sized generator. Droplet impact and spread were recorded with a 3D imaging system consisting of three high-speed digital cameras and analyzed using 3D motion analysis software. Retention and spread were determined by comparing droplet liquid volumes and droplet cross-sectional areas before and after impact, respectively. The surface tension of spray solutions and wettability of leaf surfaces strongly affected droplet retention. Droplets with lower surface tension were more likely to achieve high retention than those with higher surface tension. Droplet retention generally decreased with increasing leaf roughness-wettability. All droplets with and without adjuvants achieved 100% retention on the hydrophilic leaf surface. Addition of non-ionic, oil, or organo-silicone based adjuvants in the spray solution improved droplet retention on hydrophobic leaves, while the organo-silicone based adjuvant achieved the highest retention on superhydrophobic leaf surfaces. Droplet retention with the hydrocolloid polymer adjuvant was generally comparable to the other six adjuvants on the hydrophilic leaves and on the hydrophobic leaves with intermediate roughness and wettability but failed to achieve any retention on the superhydrophobic leaves. To improve droplet retention and adhesion, selection of adjuvants representing the non-ionic, oil, organo-silicone, blended, or hydrocolloid-based additives for enhancing spray solution performance must comply with the leaf surface characteristics. Keywords: Droplet rebound, High-speed imaging, Leaf wettability, Pesticide droplet deposition, Topography parameters.

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-409
Author(s):  
Yong He ◽  
Jianjian Wu ◽  
Shupei Xiao ◽  
Hui Fang ◽  
Qishuai Zheng

HighlightsContact angles of spray droplets were positively correlated with their surface tension.Wettability of rape leaves was generally poor for most pesticides.Surface structure and free energy determine the hydrophobicity of rape leaves.The size of the spray droplets had no significant influence on rape leaf wettability.Abstract. In order to improve the deposition and adherence of spray droplets on leaf surfaces, the wettability of rapeseed leaves was investigated. We explored the effect of different pesticides and test surfaces on droplet contact angles, and analyzed the effects of leaf surface properties, droplet sizes and the addition of organosilicone adjuvant on wettability. The results indicated that contact angles of different liquids were positively correlated with their surface tension for rapeseed leaves. The wettability of rapeseed leaves was generally poor using different pesticides, but was highest for a fungicide mixture of difenoconazole and propiconazole. The hydrophobicity of rapeseed leaves is largely determined by the complex microstructure and the low surface free energy of the leaves. The size of the spray droplets had no significant influence on the wettability. Moreover, the addition of an organosilicone adjuvant significantly reduced the surface tension of all spray droplets, with the best result for a 50% procymidone solution. In conclusion, the factors affecting rapeseed leaf surface wettability should be considered comprehensively before selecting the appropriate pesticide, so as to improve its utilization rates. Keywords: Contact angle, Leaf surface, Pesticide application, Spray droplet.


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.K. Gitsopoulos ◽  
C.A. Damalas ◽  
I. Georgoulas

The effect of five adjuvants (non-ionic surfactant, paraffinic oil, vegetable oil, mixture of fatty acids methyl esters plus surfactant blend, and organosilicone) on diquat efficacy was assessed on poverty brome, sterile oat, and Italian ryegrass in field and pot experiments. All tank mixtures with diquat increased diquat efficacy from 50-54% to 77-98% as for fresh weight reduction, indicating significant enhancement of diquat efficacy on grasses. The increased efficacy was most likely attributed to better droplet retention and diffusion on the leaf surfaces. When combined with non-ionic surfactant, diquat showed slightly more rapid control of grass weeds (i.e. symptoms were visible within a few hours after application).


Weed Science ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 280-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Dan Hess ◽  
Richard H. Falk

Leaf surface morphology and physical characteristics of herbicide deposits on leaf surfaces can influence herbicide performance. Leaf surface topography, the degree and type of epicuticular wax formation, and the presence, type, and distribution of trichomes all influence the distribution of a given herbicide formulation sprayed onto a leaf surface. Depressions above anticlinal cell walls accumulate herbicide, thus lessening uniform distribution. As the amount of particulate wax increases, the size of individual spray drop deposits on the leaf decreases, thus resulting in reduced coverage. In many instances the presence of trichomes reduces optimal epidermal coverage by intercepting spray drops before they reach the epidermal surface. Adjuvants reduce the adverse influence of leaf topography, epicuticular wax, and trichomes on herbicide distribution, but their use usually does not yield an even coating over the entire leaf surface. Many herbicides, in pure form, are solids (i.e., crystals) rather than liquids. For most applications, herbicides are dissolved, dispersed, or emulsified in a water-based spray solution. After spraying, water and any solvents evaporate from the leaf surface and herbicides often return to their solid crystalline form. In the few cases that have been studied, less herbicide is absorbed when present on the leaf surface as a solid rather than as a liquid. In many instances, greater effectiveness of a postemergence herbicide may be obtained if attention is given to optimizing the distribution and physical form on sprayed leaf surfaces.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Debo Qi ◽  
Chengchun Zhang ◽  
Jingwei He ◽  
Yongli Yue ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
...  

AbstractThe fast swimming speed, flexible cornering, and high propulsion efficiency of diving beetles are primarily achieved by their two powerful hind legs. Unlike other aquatic organisms, such as turtle, jellyfish, fish and frog et al., the diving beetle could complete retreating motion without turning around, and the turning radius is small for this kind of propulsion mode. However, most bionic vehicles have not contained these advantages, the study about this propulsion method is useful for the design of bionic robots. In this paper, the swimming videos of the diving beetle, including forwarding, turning and retreating, were captured by two synchronized high-speed cameras, and were analyzed via SIMI Motion. The analysis results revealed that the swimming speed initially increased quickly to a maximum at 60% of the power stroke, and then decreased. During the power stroke, the diving beetle stretched its tibias and tarsi, the bristles on both sides of which were shaped like paddles, to maximize the cross-sectional areas against the water to achieve the maximum thrust. During the recovery stroke, the diving beetle rotated its tarsi and folded the bristles to minimize the cross-sectional areas to reduce the drag force. For one turning motion (turn right about 90 degrees), it takes only one motion cycle for the diving beetle to complete it. During the retreating motion, the average acceleration was close to 9.8 m/s2 in the first 25 ms. Finally, based on the diving beetle's hind-leg movement pattern, a kinematic model was constructed, and according to this model and the motion data of the joint angles, the motion trajectories of the hind legs were obtained by using MATLAB. Since the advantages of this propulsion method, it may become a new bionic propulsion method, and the motion data and kinematic model of the hind legs will be helpful in the design of bionic underwater unmanned vehicles.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weihua Gu ◽  
Jiaqi Sheng ◽  
Qianqian Huang ◽  
Gehuan Wang ◽  
Jiabin Chen ◽  
...  

Highlights The eco-friendly shaddock peel-derived carbon aerogels were prepared by a freeze-drying method. Multiple functions such as thermal insulation, compression resistance and microwave absorption can be integrated into one material-carbon aerogel. Novel computer simulation technology strategy was selected to simulate significant radar cross-sectional reduction values under real far field condition. . Abstract Eco-friendly electromagnetic wave absorbing materials with excellent thermal infrared stealth property, heat-insulating ability and compression resistance are highly attractive in practical applications. Meeting the aforesaid requirements simultaneously is a formidable challenge. Herein, ultra-light carbon aerogels were fabricated via fresh shaddock peel by facile freeze-drying method and calcination process, forming porous network architecture. With the heating platform temperature of 70 °C, the upper surface temperatures of the as-prepared carbon aerogel present a slow upward trend. The color of the sample surface in thermal infrared images is similar to that of the surroundings. With the maximum compressive stress of 2.435 kPa, the carbon aerogels can provide favorable endurance. The shaddock peel-based carbon aerogels possess the minimum reflection loss value (RLmin) of − 29.50 dB in X band. Meanwhile, the effective absorption bandwidth covers 5.80 GHz at a relatively thin thickness of only 1.7 mm. With the detection theta of 0°, the maximum radar cross-sectional (RCS) reduction values of 16.28 dB m2 can be achieved. Theoretical simulations of RCS have aroused extensive interest owing to their ingenious design and time-saving feature. This work paves the way for preparing multi-functional microwave absorbers derived from biomass raw materials under the guidance of RCS simulations.


Author(s):  
Yingzi Chen ◽  
Zhiyuan Yang ◽  
Wenxiong Peng ◽  
Huaiqing Zhang

Magnetic pulse welding is a high-speed welding technology, which is suitable for welding light metal materials. In the magnetic pulse welding system, the field shaper can increase the service life of the coil and contribute to concentrating the magnetic field in the welding area. Therefore, optimizing the structure of the field shaper can effectively improve the efficiency of the system. This paper analyzed the influence of cross-sectional shape and inner angle of the field shaper on the ability of concentrating magnetic field via COMSOL software. The structural strength of various field shapers was also analyzed in ABAQUS. Simulation results show that the inner edge of the field shaper directly affects the deformation and welding effect of the tube. So, a new shape of field shaper was proposed and the experimental results prove that the new field shaper has better performance than the conventional field shaper.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 1997
Author(s):  
Bin Lu ◽  
Haijun Xuan ◽  
Xiaojian Ma ◽  
Fangjun Han ◽  
Weirong Hong ◽  
...  

Labyrinth-honeycomb seals are a state-of-the-art sealing technology commonly used in aero-engine interstage seal. The undesirable severe rub between the seal fins and the honeycomb due to the clearance change may induce the cracking of the seal fins. A pervious study investigated the wear of the seal fins at different radial incursion rates. However, due to the axial thrust and mounting clearance, the axial rub between the seal fins and the honeycomb may occur. Hence, this paper focuses on the influence of the axial rub added in the radial rub on the wear of the seal fins. The rub tests results, including rubbing forces and temperature, wear rate, worn morphology, cross-sectional morphology and energy dispersive spectroscopy results, are presented and discussed. Overall, the participation of the axial rub leads to higher rubbing forces, temperature, and wear rate. The tribo-layer on the seal fin is thicker and the cracks are more obvious at high axial incursion rate. These phenomena indicate the axial rub has a negative influence on the wear of the seal fins and should be avoided.


2002 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 257-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Kaemming

The pulsed detonation engine (PDE) is a unique propulsion system that uses the pressure rise associated with detonations to efficiently provide thrust. A study was conducted under the direction of the NASA Langley Research Center to identify the flight applications that provide the greatest potential benefits when incorporating a PDE propulsion system. The study was conducted in three phases. The first two phases progressively screened a large matrix of possible applications down to three applications for a more in-depth, advanced design analysis. The three applications best suited to the PDE were (1) a supersonic tactical aircraft, (2) a supersonic strike missile, and (3) a hypersonic single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle. The supersonic tactical aircraft is the focus of this paper. The supersonic, tactical aircraft is envisioned as a Mach 3.5 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft with possible strike capability. The high speed was selected based on the perceived high-speed fuel efficiency benefits of the PDE. Relative to a turbo-ramjet powered vehicle, the study identified an 11% to 21% takeoff gross weight (TOGW) benefit to the PDE on the baseline 700 n.mi. radius mission depending on the assumptions used for PDE performance and mission requirements. The TOGW benefits predicted were a result of the PDE lower cruise specific fuel consumption (SFC) and lower vehicle supersonic drag. The lower vehicle drag resulted from better aft vehicle shaping, which was a result of better distribution of the PDE cross-sectional area. The reduction in TOGW and fuel usage produced an estimated 4% reduction in life cycle cost for the PDE vehicle. The study also showed that the simplicity of the PDE enables concurrent engineering development of the vehicle and engine.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document