An Improved Mixing Chamber for Variable-Dosage Sprayers

Abstract

A variable-dosage sprayer system with a toroidal mixing chamber was constructed and used successfully in evaluation of equipment and herbicides for 2 years at the U. S. Cotton Research Station, Shafter, California. The primary advantage of this system compared to other systems is that the dilution rate is the same as predicted by theory over a wide range of conditions. Therefore, the rate of dilution can be calculated for different combinations of nozzles, or metering orifices, pressures, and spray rates without the need for direct calibration. Since the inside of the chamber is visible, some application errors are avoided and others detected that are not known with other systems. The system should be adaptable to a wide range of plot sizes and half-dosage distances by changing the volume of the toroid, the limiting factor being the availability of proper size propellers and motor.