Patent Application
20200331008
The disclosure generally relates to spray applicators for dosing vaccines or probiotics to avian animals at a distance. In particular, the disclosure relates to spray applicators for vaccines (i.e. “sprayers”) or probiotics, having increased dosing ranges, relative to prior spray applicators. The disclosed improved spray applicator delivers effective and uniform amounts of liquid vaccine or probiotic formulations, having uniformly distributed droplet sizes, to avian animals from at least about 5 to at least about 10 meters away from the spray applicator.
Spray vaccination can be defined as the method for administration of the live vaccines dissolved in water, in the form of droplets, through the air to the birds' target cells. It is considered to be one of the most efficient routes for massive vaccination against Newcastle disease ND and infectious bronchitis IB as it triggers local immunity in the respiratory tract. Moreover, as the respiratory tract is the main site of entry of NDV and IBV, local immediate immune mechanisms therefore form a first line of defense against these infections. Besides that, spray vaccination also induces humoral immune response.
Similarly, spray administration of probiotics can be defined as the method for administration of the probiotics (dissolved in water or another suitable solvent), in the form of droplets, for inhalation or ingestion by the bird so as to modulate the bird's intestinal microbiota and confer a beneficial effect on the health or well-being of the bird. Known probiotic spray applicators, include LEE, Eng-Hong, PCT Publication number WO 2012/016328.
This method of vaccination can be done either in the hatchery with cabinet sprayers or at the farms with different kinds of equipment and it allows the vaccination of a large number of birds in a short period of time with low cost. Nevertheless, it is not always synonymous of efficacy as it can lead to vaccination failures uneven uptake and/or development of post-vaccination reactions PVR if it is not properly managed.
In order to reach the desirable results with the spray process, it is important to consider some key points as the formation of the droplets and the target to be reached respiratory or digestive tract. The spraying process consists of forcing a vaccine solution through hydraulic nozzles using determined pressure, which provides the energy that breaks a stream of water into droplets. More recently, sprayers equipped with spinning disc atomizers have been developed. In any case, the size of the droplets is influenced by pressure, type of nozzle and environment conditions. These droplets can be classified, according to their size at the point of production as atomization or aerosol <50 μm, fine spray 50-100 μm or coarse spray 100-150 μm.
Rotary or disc atomizers generate conical sheets by imparting a tangential velocity component to the flow as it issues from a discharge orifice. The mechanisms of sheet integration are broadly the same as those responsible for jet breakup i.e. in the case of a pressure-sprayer. If the liquid sheet is flowing at high velocity, the turbulence forces generated within the liquid may be strong enough to cause the sheet to disintegrate into groups without any aid or intervention from the surrounding air. However, the principal cause of sheet breakup stems from interaction of the sheet with the surrounding air, whereby rapidly growing waves are superimposed on the sheet. Disintegration occurs when the wave amplitude reaches a critical value and fragments of sheet are torn off. Surface tension forces cause these fragments to contract into irregular ligaments which then collapse into droplets according to the Rayleigh mechanism. Rotary atomizers utilize centrifugal energy to achieve the high relative velocity between air and liquid that is needed for good atomization. A rotating surface is employed which may take the form of a flat disc, vaned disc, cup, bell, or slotted wheel. A simple form of rotary atomizer, comprising a spinning disc with means for introducing liquid at its center. The liquid flows radially outward across the disc and is discharged at high velocity from its periphery. Several mechanisms of atomization are observed with a rotating flat disc, depending on the liquid flow rate and the rotational speed of the disc. At low flow rates the liquid is discharged from the edge of the disc in the form of droplets of fairly uniform size.
The UlvaVac™ is a professional spray applicator for poultry vaccination
Spray droplets are dispersed in a turbulent airstream to ensure even distribution to all birds.
The spray applicator consists of a one litre spray reservoir, colour coded liquid feed nozzles to control flow rate, atomiser spray head with spinning disc, electrically operated fan to disperse spray and a 12 V battery for power with recharging unit. The UlvaVac can be used for vaccination of broilers, layers and turkeys and is recommended for vaccination against respiratory diseases such as Infectious Bronchitis, Turkey Rhinotracheitis and Newcastle Disease.
Low spray volumes of 1-2 litres per house are normally applied allowing operators to treat up to 30,000 broilers, for example, in less than 20 minutes. The method of atomisation used by the UlvaVac gives precise control over droplet size, ensuring accurate delivery of vaccine to the eye and upper respiratory tract. Post-vaccinal reaction caused by the production of very small droplets is minimised. The precise control over droplet size also allows the use of low spray volumes which significantly reduces the time spent for both vaccine preparation and application, ensuring minimal disturbance to birds.
The spray droplet sizes produced by the UlvaVac have been accurately measured. The spray applicator is capable of producing a very uniform size range of droplets suitable for the delivery of respirable spray vaccines. Spraying should be carried out on a time and volume basis rather than solely a volume per thousand birds. The more time spent spraying the birds the better the vaccine coverage. However, the time allowed for spraying is determined by the length of time during which the shed/house ventilation can be inoperative. Nozzles may be selected to accommodate different applications.
To spray a house containing 30,000 ten day old broilers, depending on ambient temperature, the ventilation can be shut down for approximately 20 minutes without stressing the birds. In 20 minutes the yellow nozzle will spray approximately 900 ml. 30,000 doses should be mixed in 900 ml of fresh distilled water and the vaccine sprayed on the birds for 20 minutes.
To spray a house containing 8,000 twelve week old broiler breeders, depending on ambient temperature, the ventilation can be shut down for approximately 20 minutes without stressing the birds. In 20 minutes the yellow nozzle will spray approximately 900 ml. 8,000 doses of vaccine should be mixed in 900 ml of fresh distilled water and the vaccine sprayed on the birds for 20 minutes.
The UlvaVac provides the uniform droplet size required for vaccinating avian animals including chickens, including broilers, but its range is limited i.e. the user must be relatively close to the birds. Before the instant disclosure, it was not known whether the dosing range could be extended by increasing the speed of the air flow. For example, if increasing the speed of the air flow caused the vaccine droplet size to become too small, the vaccine would end up in the lungs of the birds, which is not desirable. Furthermore, if higher speed caused the vaccine to be sprayed non-uniformly, some of the birds would be under-protected, while others would be over-dosed, and suffer from side effects. Finally, higher air speeds could also comprise the immunogenicity and/or efficacy of the vaccine or probiotic formulation itself.
Therefore, to achieve the desired range increase for spray applicators, it would be necessary to increase the speed of airflow, while taking into account and optimizing at least four variables: 1 air flow geometry; 2 uniformity of droplet size; 3 uniformity of vaccine dose delivered to each bird; and 4 preservation of the immunogenicity of a vaccine that subjected to high air flow conditions. Development of tests to measure each of these variables is also required for the development of an improved dosing range spray applicator.
Like the UlvaVac, the disclosed extended-range spray applicator is battery powered. As well as spinning the disc atomizer that produces the uniform droplets, the battery also powers an air supply means, which may be a blower motor. The combined action of the air supply means and the rotating disc atomizer distributes the vaccine over an area of up to about 5 to about 10 meters long and 2 meters wide. The about 5 to about 10 L of liquid that is contained in the machine's reservoir should last about 10 to about 30 minutes when a yellow nozzle is used.
For broilers, protection from good spray vaccination reduces the possibility of economic losses caused by diseases that enter via the respiratory tract and can cause weight loss and general poor performance of the flock. For layers and breeders, as well as respiratory disease, Infectious Bronchitis viruses can damage the kidneys and oviduct with infections resulting in false layers, drops in production and poor quality eggs.
By using the instantly disclosed extended-range spray applicator, specifically for use in poultry, vaccines and probiotics are delivered directly to the upper respiratory system—including the eye, nasal cavities and trachea. The device yields a uniform droplet size, is not too heavy to use and is battery powered so it is not too noisy for the birds. Similarly, using the instantly disclosed extended-range spray applicator for administering probiotics enables a predetermined dose of liquid probiotic to be sprayed directly on the birds. It is expected that as the birds preen they will ingest the probiotics from their feathers.
If a vaccine is sprayed at “chicken-height,” not only will pullets and broilers inhale the vaccine or probiotic, it will also go into the Harderian gland in the eye, thereby stimulating the birds' immune systems. Similarly, if the probiotic is sprayed at “chicken-height,” it enables the efficient delivery of the probiotic to the bird so that they can ingest the probiotics from their feathers when they preen.
When one applies vaccines or probiotics with the disclosed improved spray applicator, the band of spray is about 1 to about 2 meters wide and goes about five (5) to about ten (10) meters out, so it can cover a large number of birds. It is possible to vaccinate and/or administer probiotics to 100,000 birds in just 20 minutes.
The ventilation should be turned off prior to vaccinating the birds using the disclosed improved spray applicator. If there is a lot of air movement, the vaccine can get blown away by the ventilation system.
IB vaccines and probiotics are quite fragile, so when poultry producers reconstitute the vaccine or probiotic, they must vaccinate and/or administer the probiotic to the birds as quickly and effectively as possible. If an IB vaccine is put through drinker lines, it can take the birds more than two hours to drink it all so a lot of the vaccine virus will have died before it has been consumed by the birds. Similarly, administration of probiotics through drinker lines is known to be problematic as the liquid may be spilled by the birds or the probiotic settles in the lines and does not result in even distribution to the flock.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide an extended-range spray applicator and methods of making and use thereof. The extended-range spray applicator is particularly well-suited to delivering liquid medicament, including vaccines and/or probiotics, via an array of droplets having an average droplet size of from about 50 μM to about 200 μM in diameter. These droplets sizes are particularly useful for vaccinating avian animals, including chickens, against a variety of respiratory pathogens or administering probiotics to birds. The spray applicator is capable of vaccinating or administering probiotics to avians at a distance of at least about 5 to about 10 meters.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, including reference to the accompanying figures, wherein:
Particle Analyzer;
The present invention relates to extended-range spray applicator and methods of making and use thereof. The extended-range spray applicator is particularly well-suited to delivering liquid medicament, including vaccines and/or probiotics, via an array of droplets having an average droplet size of from about 50 μM to about 200 μM in diameter. These droplets sizes are particularly useful for vaccinating avian animals, including chickens, against a variety of respiratory pathogens or administering probiotics to birds.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and this disclosure. To the extent the definitions of terms in the publications, patents, and patent applications incorporated herein by reference are not the same as the definitions set forth in this specification, the definitions in this specification control for the entire specification, including the claims. Any other definitions in the publications, patents, and patent applications incorporated herein by reference that are not explicitly provided in this specification apply only to the embodiments discussed in the publications, patents, and patent applications incorporated herein by reference.
As used above, and throughout the description of the invention, the following terms, unless otherwise indicated, shall be understood to have the following meanings:
As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
The term “and/or” as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
The term “about,” as used herein, means approximately, in the region of, roughly, or around. When the term “about” is used in conjunction with a numerical range, it modifies that range by extending the boundaries above and below the numerical values set forth. In general, the term “about” is used herein to modify a numerical value above and below the stated value by a variance of 10%. In one aspect, the term “about” means plus or minus 20% of the numerical value of the number with which it is being used. Therefore, about 50% means in the range of 45%-55%. Numerical ranges recited herein by endpoints include all numbers and fractions subsumed within that range (e.g. 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.90, 4, and 5). It is also to be understood that all numbers and fractions thereof are presumed to be modified by the term “about.”
The term “effective amount” as used herein means an amount of a composition according to the present invention effective in producing the desired veterinary effect.
In an aspect, the disclosure provides an extended-range spray applicator substantially as depicted in
In some embodiments, the extended-range spray applicator comprises:
(a) an air supply means, for providing a flow of air through the spray applicator; wherein the air supply means is configured to connect to
(b) a head assembly, configured to attach to the air supply means; wherein the assembly comprises:
In some embodiments of the spray applicator, the head assembly, already equipped with a primary shroud, is configured to reversibly attach to a secondary shroud.
In some embodiments, the mounting means are extenders, and both shrouds comprise slots through which the extenders pass.
In some embodiments, the atomizer is fixedly connected to the extenders.
In other embodiments, the atomizer is adjustably connected to the extenders, such that a user may direct the atomizer upward or downward, with respect to the direction of air flow.
In some embodiments, the adjustable connection also allows the user to position the atomizer laterally, such that it is either nearer to, or farther from, the air supply means.
In some embodiments, both the primary and secondary shrouds comprise a plurality of spacers, which are configured to allow the shrouds to be reversibly connected to one another. For example, each shroud may comprise 4 spacers.
In some embodiments, the air supply means adapter is cylindrical and comprises a means for lockably attaching the head assembly to the air supply portion of the spray applicator.
In some embodiments, the spray applicator comprises a battery housing, situated atop the head assembly, and configured to receive and house a rechargeable battery, which supplies electricity to the atomizer motor.
In some embodiments, the atomizing means is a rotary disc atomizer, which is mechanically connected to a disc atomizer motor, which is housed within a motor housing, which is fixedly connected to a disc atomizer assembly frame.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a head assembly, for use with the disclosed spray applicator, comprising:
(a) an air supply means adaptor, for connecting the head assembly to the air supply means;
(b) at least one air guide shroud, to guide the flow of air coming from the air supply means;
(c) a rotary disc atomizer, for transforming liquid into sub-millimeter-sized droplets; wherein the atomizer is situated centrally within the shrouds;
(d) at least two extenders, for attaching the atomizer to the head assembly;
(e) a motor, mechanically connected to the atomizer; and
(f) a battery receptacle, for holding a battery, which is electrically connected to the motor.
In an embodiment, the head assembly may comprise a primary and secondary shroud, each comprising a slot through which the extenders pass. In an advantageous embodiment, the secondary shroud has a conical angle of about 30°.
In some embodiments of the head assembly, at least one shroud is characterized by having at least three diameters, D1, D2 and D3, and at least two angles, A1 and A2.
In some embodiments, D1 is at least about 30% to about 50% smaller than D2, and D2 is about equal to or is about 10% smaller than D3.
In some embodiments, A1 is between about 90° and about 145°, and A2 is between about 130° and 160°.
In some embodiments, the spray applicator is capable of delivering to an avian animal in need thereof a safe and effective amount of a liquid medicament selected from an immunological formulation, a vaccine or probiotic formulation, an antibiotic formulation, an antifungal formulation, an anticoccidial formulation, a feed additive formulation and combinations thereof.
In some embodiments, the spray applicator is configured to transform the liquid medicament into substantially uniformly sized droplets, with 90% of the droplets having a diameter between about 25 μm and about 200 μm.
In other embodiments, the spray applicator is capable of propelling fluid/vaccine or probiotic droplets at least about 5 or about 10 meters through the air, to deliver safe and effective amounts of the droplets to the avian animals.
In some embodiments, the spray applicator comprises:
(a) an air supply means, which is operably connected to
(b) a head assembly, which comprises an air supply means adapter, configured to sealably connect the head assembly to the air supply means; comprising:
In some embodiments, the air shroud guide and the air supply means adapter are either a unitary piece or are at least two separate pieces, to accommodate connection of the head assembly to many different types of air supply means.
In some embodiments, the air supply means is a commercially-available blower, including a leaf blower.
In some embodiments, the atomizing means is a rotary disc atomiser, which is operably connected to an electric motor. In an alternate embodiment, the rotary disc atomizer is operably connected to an impeller, which is driven by the air flowing from the air supply means, and which turns the rotary disc atomizer in place of an electric motor.
In some embodiments, the disc assembly comprises a disc atomizer, a washer and a disc fixing screw. The disc atomizer comprises grooves, wherein the spinning of the atomizer by the motor causes liquid to be drawn into and through the grooves, and wherein the force of the spinning causes the liquid to exit the atomizer as an array of droplets dispersed throughout a substantially columnar or conical flow of air.
In some embodiments, the head assembly shroud is characterized by having at least three diameters, D1, D2 and D3, and at least two angles, A1 and A2.
In some embodiments, D1 is at least about 30% to about 50% smaller than D2 and D2 is about equal to or is about 10% smaller than D3.
In some embodiments, A1 is between about 90° and about 145° and A2 is between about 130° and 160°.
In another aspect, the disclosure provide a method of vaccinating avian animals against respiratory pathogens, from a distance of at least about 5 or about 10 meters away, comprising the step of using the disclosed extended-range spray applicator to administer to said avian animals an effective amount of at least one respiratory antigen, carried in the form of uniformly-sized droplets, having diameters of from about 50 μm to about 200 μm, thereby vaccinating said avian animal.
In some embodiments, 10,000 avian animals are vaccinated and/or administered probiotics in less than about 20 minutes; and/or about 5 L to about 10 L of vaccine is delivered within about 20 minutes.
In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a method of treating birds with a probiotic formulation therapeutic agent by dispersing the probiotic formulation in the form of uniformly-sized droplets, having diameters of from about 50 μm to about 200 μm, from a spray applicator of claim 1 or 2, wherein the birds being treated are at least about 5 to at least about 10 meters away from the spray applicator; and allowing the birds to consume the droplets.
In some embodiments, the probiotic formulation is a liquid or liquid-like gel.
In other embodiments, 10,000 birds are treated in less than about 20 minutes, and/or about 5 L to about 10 L of probiotic formulation is delivered within about 20 minutes.
Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views,
As further shown in
Adjacent to the adapter 21, and situated atop the head assembly 20, is a battery housing 45. The battery housing 45 is configured to receive and house a rechargeable battery, which supplies electricity to an atomizer motor, which is electrically connected to the battery, and which is contained within a housing 25. The motor is operably connected to a disc atomizer 23a, and may be activated by turning on a power switch housed in power switch receptacle 46. The disc atomizer 23a and disc atomizer motor 24 are fixedly connected to a disc atomizer assembly frame 19, which itself is fixedly connected to a disc atomizer fluid supply assembly 36. An external fluid supply may be attached and thereby fluidly connected to the supply assembly 36 via quick-connect 34. Any suitable conduit 39 may be connected to quick-connect 34, and the fluid supply may be under pressure using gravity (i.e. by maintaining a fluid reservoir 40 at a suitable height above the sprayer's point of use) or, by using a suitable pumping means, including a pulsatile pump or other fluid pump.
The disc atomizer assembly frame 19 is configured to be fixedly or adjustably mounted to the head assembly 20 via disc atomizer assembly extenders 66, which are configured to allow reversible attachment of multiple different primary 22 and secondary 62 shrouds. When the disc atomizer assembly frame 19 is adjustably connected to the extenders 66, the atomizer assembly may be adjusted up or down, to allow the fluid/vaccine to be delivered at either a higher or lower angle, with respect to the stream of air emanating from the air supply means. The frame may also be adjusted to be either nearer to, or farther away from, the air supply portion 90. This adjustability feature allows the user to select multiple different secondary cones 62, each cone providing a different pattern of fluid/vaccine droplet delivery. Furthermore, this adjustability allows a user to fine-tune and/or customize the spray applicator to suit a variety of different field vaccination conditions. For example, the atomizer 23a may be adjusted to point up to direct the vaccine or probiotic droplets to travel higher and farther. Many different combinations and permutations are possible, now that the disclosure has been made.
Moreover, as shown in
Accordingly, the spray applicators 1, 100 offer a dramatic improvement in the field of spray vaccination, significantly increasing each of the following delivery parameters: effective range, speed, accuracy and precision.
As shown in
In one embodiment, the probiotic formulation may be in the form of a liquid-like gel. A “liquid-like gel” as used herein is a gel that is easily disrupted or thinned, and that liquefies or becomes less gel-like and more liquid-like under stress, such as caused by the gel being drawn into, through and out of the spinning atomizer, but which quickly returns to a gel when the movement or other stress is alleviated or removed, such as when movement of the fluid exiting the spinning atomizer is stopped, as for example when the exiting fluid lands on the targeted bird. The skilled person knows how to make a formulation more the gel-like or liquid-like by adjusting the amount of gelling agent used in the formulation. One type of liquid-like gel suitable for use in delivering probiotics to birds is disclosed in Wright et al, PCT patent publication number WO2001095891. Other suitable liquid-like gels for use to deliver probiotics to birds include GroGel™ by MS BioScience of Madison, Wis., and gel-Pac™ Animal Science Products, Inc. PO Drawer 631408 Nacogdoches, Tex.
In another embodiment, the liquid-like gel pass through the atomizer disc of the spray applicator and thereby dispersed from the spray applicator in the form of small gel beadlets. The term “beadlet” as used herein refers to small discrete particles, which have a mean particle size from about 50 μM to about 200 μM in diameter and are usually nearly spherical. Beadlets contain one or more probiotics in an encapsulated form.
While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modifications and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth and as follows in the scope of the appended claims. This invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the aspects or claims presented herein to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.
It is further noted that it is an object of the invention to not encompass within the invention any previously known product, process of making the product, or method of using the product such that Applicants reserve the right and hereby disclose a disclaimer of any previously known product, process, or method. It is further noted that the invention does not intend to encompass within the scope of the invention any product, process, or making of the product or method of using the product, which does not meet the written description and enablement requirements of the USPTO ((35 U.S.C.)112, first paragraph) or the EPO (Article 83 of the EPC), such that Applicants reserve the right and hereby disclose a disclaimer terms such as “consisting essentially of” and “consists essentially of” have the meaning ascribed to them in U.S. Patent law, e.g., they allow for elements not explicitly recited, but exclude elements that are found in the prior art or that affect a basic or novel characteristic of the invention.
The invention will now be further described by way of the following non-limiting examples.
Below disclose the development of the extended-range spray applicator, up to and including the present preferred embodiment, which is detailed above.
During development of the first shroud version, the goal was to define an optimum angle for the spinning disk atomizer 23a relative to the air supply/blower tube 11, to provide optimal operation of the spinning disc atomizer 23a. Testing demonstrated that the angle between the tip of the spinning disc and the tube needed to be about 240° to allow the fluid to be siphoned out correctly and to prevent leakage during normal operation. During testing of this first shroud version
In Version 2 (
In Version 3 (
In Version 4 (
In Version 5 (
In Version 6, an advantageous single-shroud embodiment (
In Version 7, Applicants have taken all the effective functional elements (e.g. two-piece design, shape, diameters, angles, etc.) of the Version 7 assembly 20, and adapted it to provide for the addition of secondary shrouds 62 having different geometries (as discussed above). The primary shroud 22 now comprises a slot 69 through which can pass the atomizers extenders 66. Without the extenders 66, or a suitable functional replacement therefor, it would not have been mechanically practical to add an additional shroud. Once the secondary shroud 62 was added to the spray applicator 100, Applicants found surprisingly that an even greater percentage of vaccine or probiotic droplets were being effectively delivered to the birds. This finding could not have been predicted in advance of the present disclosure, and was only made possible by the non-routine experimentation disclosed herein.
Having thus described in detail preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention defined by the above paragraphs is not to be limited to particular details set forth in the above description as many apparent variations thereof are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.
High-speed video and drop size characterization of two droplet dispersion devices used in a vaccine delivery application was conducted. The two rotary atomizers evaluate are: 1 Micron ULVAFAN/ULVAPAK-MK2
Test Setup. An Olympus i-SPEED TR high-speed video camera was used for capturing video during this test. This camera is designed for research and development usage where the objective is to capture high quality video images for subsequent review and analysis. With an acquisition rate of up to 2,000 frames per second at a full resolution of 1280×1024, and a top speed of 10,000 fps, the camera is suitable for the vast majority of spray analysis and research testing. The test setup consisted of fabricating a holding bracket for the ULVAFAN/ULVAPAK-MK2 for high-speed videography. The extended-range spray applicator was held in place with a four-inch pipe clamp on a three-axis traverse. Three-axis traverse allowed final adjustments to achieve clean field of view for high-speed videography
Drop Size Measurement. The Sympatec HELOS Particle Analyzer was used to acquire drop size measurements for this test
The reservoir level was filled to full at the beginning of each test to reduce the pressure-head changes introduced by water displaced during testing. The battery was charged to full status indicated as solid green on the extended-range spray applicator charger.
For drop size characterization of ULAVPAK/Hybrid Assembly extended-range spray applicator, the grey shroud was used. The tank level was filled to full before each test to reduce the gravity pressure—head changes by water displaced during testing. An external 12V DC power source with an on/off toggle switch fabricated by Spraying Systems Co® and used to power the spinning disc atomizer. The DV0.1, DV0.5,and DV0.9 diameters as defined below were used to evaluate the drop size data in microns μm. The drop size terminology is defined below, and more information can be found in Understanding Drop Size, Bulletin 459c, available at the following link: www.spray.com/literature_pdfs/B459C_Understanding_Drop_Size.pdf.
DV0.1: A value where 10% of the total volume or mass of liquid sprayed is made up of drops with diameters smaller or equal to this value.
DV0.5: Volume Median Diameter also known as VMD. A means of expressing drop size in terms of the volume of liquid sprayed. The VIVID is a value where 50% of the total volume or mass of liquid sprayed is made up of drops with diameters larger than the median value and 50% smaller than the median value. This diameter is used to compare the change in drop size on average between test conditions.
D32: Sauter Mean Diameter also known as SMD is a means of expressing the fineness of a spray in terms of the surface area produced by the spray. The Sauter Mean Diameter is the diameter of a drop having the same volume to surface area ratio as the total volume of all the drops to the total surface area of all the drops.
DV0.9: A value where 90% of the total volume or mass of liquid sprayed is made up of drops with diameters smaller or equal to this value.
DV0.99: A value where 99% of the total volume or mass of liquid sprayed is made up of drops with diameters smaller or equal to this value.
Test Results & Analysis. High-speed video was acquired near the exit of the spinning disk atomizer to visualize the formation of droplets and the interaction of the droplets with the airstream. Sympatec drop size testing was conducted at multiple downstream distances to assess the drop size characteristics as well as the relative density of the spray cloud. All testing data was collected at one speed for ULVAFAN/ULVAPAK MK2 atomizer with the onboard on/off switch. For the extended-range spray applicator Hybrid Assembly, data was collected with the blower fan triggered to max with the atomizer powered by an external 12V DC power with 200 milliamps. Representative screen shots of the high-speed video recording of ULVAFAN/ULVAPAK MK2
The second phase of the tests was to characterize the ULVAFAN/ULVAPAK MK2 and the ULVAPAK/Hybrid Assembly for drop size using the Sympatec laser diffraction instrument at many downstream distances from the atomizers. The maximum distance of data collection depended on each blower fan's ability to push a sufficient quantity of droplets downstream. The spray plume was scanned a minimum of two times for data collected at each distance. A straight average method was used to obtain the final results, which are provided in Table 2.
All drop size measurements acquired for the ULVAFAN/ULVAPAK MK2 atomizer were at constant speed, a step of a half-foot over a maximum distance of five feet was collected Table 2. The MVD data recorded under 100 μm for ULVAFAN/ULVAPAK MK2 is consistent over several distances, a low concentration of droplets at further distances provided a maximum measurement distance of 5 feet
For drop size collection of ULVAPAK/Hybrid Assembly, the blower fan trigger was pressed at maximum speed, with power supplied directly to the atomizer. The system was allowed to stabilize for few seconds prior each scan for drop size data collection.
During data collection, it was observed that the angled nozzle on the shroud assembly was generating an obstruction at the blower exit. The majority of the forced air was directed so that it was concentrated over the lower-half portion of the spray plume. The top half portion of the spray was unaffected by the forced air which allowed some particles to follow their natural path to ground.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/154,082, filed May 13, 2016, which claims the benefit of U.S. Application No. 62/161,440, filed May 14, 2015, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. Any foregoing applications and all documents cited therein or during their prosecution (“application cited documents”) and all documents cited or referenced in the application cited documents, and all documents cited or referenced herein (“herein cited documents”), and all documents cited or referenced in herein cited documents, together with any manufacturer's instructions, descriptions, product specifications, and product sheets for any products mentioned herein or in any document incorporated by reference herein, are hereby incorporated herein by reference, and may be employed in the practice of the invention. Citation or identification of any such document in this application is not an admission that such document is available as prior art to the present invention and does not reflect any view of the validity, patentability and/or enforceability of such cited patent documents.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62161440 | May 2015 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15154082 | May 2016 | US |
| Child | 16690899 | US |
