Effects of Airflow, Voltage Polarity, Liquid Pressure, and Electrode Position on the Charge-to-Mass Ratio of Induction-Charged Spray Droplets

Amaya K., BAYAT A.

ACS Agricultural Science and Technology, cilt.6, sa.8, ss.1513-1520, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 6 Sayı: 8
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1021/acsagscitech.6c00194
  • Dergi Adı: ACS Agricultural Science and Technology
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1513-1520
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: air-assisted orchard sprayer, charge-to-mass ratio, electrode wetting, electrostatic spraying, hydraulic nozzle, induction charging
  • Çukurova Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Recent research has focused on integrating induction-charging electrodes directly with the existing hydraulic nozzles of air-assisted orchard sprayers. This study evaluated the effects of airflow, applied voltage, voltage polarity, liquid pressure, and electrode position on the charge-to-mass ratio (CMR) and charging stability of an induction electrostatic charging system. Airflow reduced electrode wetting and extended the stable operating voltage range, thereby allowing operation at higher applied voltages. Voltage polarity did not significantly affect the absolute CMR values, indicating that the magnitude of droplet charging was not governed by polarity under the tested conditions. Liquid pressure and electrode position strongly influenced CMR; moderate pressure improved droplet chargeability, whereas further pressure increases did not continuously enhance CMR. The highest CMR in the pressure–electrode position experiment was obtained at 600 kPa and an electrode distance of 28 mm. Overall, the highest CMR observed in the study was 0.523 mC kg–1 at an air velocity of 27 m s–1 and an applied voltage of 8 kV. These findings indicate that airflow, pressure, and electrode position should be optimized together to improve induction charging stability and droplet chargeability in air-assisted orchard sprayer applications.