Abstract: An electrostatic sprayer operable at high flow rates and low pressures particularly suitable for spray drying. The sprayer includes an elongated body having a downstream spray nozzle assembly through which electrically charged liquid is directed via a central feed tube within the nozzle body and atomizing air is supplied via an annular passage about the liquid feed tube. In one embodiment, the nozzle assembly is an external mix cluster head spray nozzle assembly having a plurality of circumferentially spaced metallic spray tips. In another embodiment, the spray nozzle is an internal mix nozzle assembly having a spray tip with an internal mixing chamber for atomizing liquid prior to discharge.

Abstract: A modular liquid distribution system in which each module has a module body, a spray nozzle, and a cyclically operable piston for controlling the dispensing of high viscous liquids from the spray nozzle. Each spray nozzle has a nozzle body with a liquid inlet and a tear dropped shaped pintle which together with the nozzle body defines an expansion chamber that reduces velocity of the liquid sufficient to be dispensed in small droplet form without splattering. In one embodiment, the nozzle body has a discharge orifice sized smaller than the outer diameter of the expansion chamber for accelerating liquid flow upon discharge sufficient to enhance consistent and repeatable breaks in the cyclically controlled fluid flow stream for enabling the discharge of smaller and more consistent volumes.

Abstract: A pre-calibrated spray plane image acquisition device is described that includes, in a single fixed-form structure, both an image capture component configured to acquire an optical image of a field of view and a light plane generator configured to generate a planar light plane emitted from the pre-calibrated spray plane image acquisition device. A carrier frame structure includes rigid components for permanently maintaining the image capture component and the light plane generator in respective positions defining a permanent spatial relationship between the field of view of the image capture component and the light plane generated by the light plane generator.

Abstract: A system and method are described for controlled leveling of a multi-wing spray boom assembly. A multi-loop cascading controller arrangement includes a main controller that renders actuation control commands to an actuator controller for causing positioning of actuators of the multi-wing boom assembly to reduce a determined current position error of the assembly in relation to a determined contour. The main controller operates, according to a main controller repetition cycle period within which an actuation command is rendered for implementation by the actuator controller, to generate positioning commands to be carried out by the actuator controller. The actuator controller executes an actuator controller loop, independently of the main controller and in accordance with an actuator controller repetition cycle period having a duration that is independent of the main controller repetition cycle period, to generate control signals for the actuators of the multi-wing boom assembly.

Abstract: An electrostatic spray drying system comprising an electrostatic spray nozzle for directing electrically charged liquid into a drying chamber, a drying gas inlet from which drying gas is simultaneously directed, and a conical powder direction plenum for receiving drying gas and entrained dried powder for direction to a filter containing powder separation plenum via a connecting conduit. The powder direction plenum and connecting conduit each have a surrounding water jacket heat exchanger through which cooling water is directed for cooling the drying gas and powder below damaging temperatures prior to entry into the powder separation plenum. The powder separation plenum has a return line for redirecting separated drying gas to the drying chamber through a condenser, blower, and heater for reuse in the system, with condensed water being selectively redirected to the inlet of the powder direction plenum heat exchanger and/or to the cooling water supply.

Abstract: A modular liquid distribution system in which each module has a module body, a spray nozzle, and a piston for controlling the dispensing of liquid from the nozzle. Each module has a pneumatically operated system for moving the piston to an open position while facilitating quicker return movement to a closed position, enabling the dispensing of precisely controlled small droplet sized quantities of highly viscous liquids.

Abstract: A system for cleaning filter cartridges having a cylindrically configured filter media. The cleaning system includes a tank for containing a cleaning liquid, and an open-sided cage for removably receiving and containing one of the filter cartridges to be cleaned. The cage is supported on a drive shaft of a motorized drive that is positionable for disposing the open-sided cage and filter cartridge contained therein in cleaning liquid in the tank and is selectively operable for rotating the open-sided cage and filter cartridge contained therein during a cleaning cycle for cleaning the filter media of the contained filter cartridge.

Abstract: A method and system are described for controlled supplemental steering, by actuating a supplemental steering element, of a trailing implement connectable via a hitch to a pulling source, and wherein the trailing implement includes a pair of parallel wheels, a controller, a position sensing system that generates a hitch position history comprising a stored set of recent positions of the hitch point, and a steering angle actuator. The method carried out by the system includes maintaining a history of positions of the hitch, determining a target steering angle for the supplemental steering element, and actuating the steering angle actuator in accordance with the target steering angle. During the maintaining the history of positions of the hitch, the history of positions of the hitch is updated by performing a rotation operation and a translation operation on a set of coordinates of the history corresponding to previous hitch positions.

Abstract: A spray nozzle is disclosed that includes a nozzle body having a first portion with a cylindrical configuration and a second portion including a dome-shaped end wall. The first and second portions of the nozzle body define an internal fluid passage having a downstream end defined by the dome-shaped end wall. A flow control element is arranged at an inlet end of the internal fluid passage. The flow control element includes a pre-orifice through which fluid can enter the internal fluid passage of the nozzle body. First and second discharge orifices are provided in the dome-shaped end wall with each of the first and second discharge orifices being arranged on a respective one of opposing sides of an apex of the dome-shaped end wall. The first and second discharge orifices are configured to produce a fan-shaped fluid discharge pattern with each discharge orifice having an elongated slit-like configuration.

Abstract: An electrostatic spray dryer for drying liquid into powder including an elongated cylindrical drying chamber having an electrostatic spray nozzle at an upper end and a powder collection vessel at a lower end. The powder collection vessel includes a removable and replaceable filter collections sock made of filter material for receiving and collecting dried powder from the drying chamber. For cleaning residual powder from an inside wall of the drying chamber, a scraper member is provided that is coupled by magnetic attraction to a manually removable driver on the external surface of the wall.

Abstract: A particle measurement system and method of operation thereof are described. The system and method render a characteristic for a set of particles measured while passing through a measurement volume. The system includes a source that generates a particle-laden field containing the set of particles. The system further includes a sensor that generates a raw particle data corresponding to the set particles passing through the measurement volume of the particle measurement system, where the raw particle data comprises a set of raw particle records and each of one of the raw particle records includes a particle data content. A preconditioning stage carries out a preconditioning operation on the particle data content of the set of raw particle records to render a conditioned input data. A machine learning stage processes the conditioned input data to render an output characteristic parameter value for the set of particles.

Abstract: An electrostatic centrifugal spraying system for direct electrification includes a tank configured to store liquid. The tank includes an internal dielectric surface and an external conducting surface, wherein when the liquid is stored in the tank, the tank is configured to act as a capacitor storing electrical energy for electrostatic spraying. The spraying system further includes a power supply, configured to electrify liquid drops of the stored liquid, and a spray nozzle, comprising a spray disk for blowing the electrified liquid drops unto a target.

Abstract: A containment tank assembly is described that includes a tank including an inner surface and a cleaning apparatus mounted to the tank. The cleaning apparatus includes an elongate arm and a rotary spray head assembly rotationally coupled to an end of the elongate arm. A rotating nozzle assembly is rotationally coupled to the rotary spray head. A magnetic field source is coupled to the rotary spray head so as to generate a spatially changing magnetic field in accordance with a rotation of the rotary spray head assembly in relation to the end of the elongate arm. A magnet field sensor is carried in a fixed relation to the elongate arm. The magnetic field sensor, in operation, generates a sensor signal that varies in accordance with the spatially changing magnetic field in accordance with the rotation of the rotary spray head assembly.

Abstract: A system and method are described for rendering a characteristic for a set of particles passing through a measurement volume of a particle optical measurement system. The method includes acquiring raw particle data for the particles passing through the measurement volume. The raw particle data comprises a set of raw particle records. Each particle record comprises at least: a trajectory of at least one particle, and a second primary mark of the at least one particle whose value influences an effective sampling area corresponding to the measurement volume. The method includes generating and storing an effective sampling area based upon: the trajectory of the at least one particle, and the second primary mark. Thereafter, an ensemble characteristic is rendered for the set of particles by performing an operation on the sampling area-corrected set of particle records.

Abstract: A spray pattern imaging apparatus, and method of operation, is described herein. The method is carried out by the spray pattern imaging apparatus that includes a frame having a set of known aspects corresponding to a first dimension and a second dimension within a first plane. The spray pattern imaging apparatus also includes a light source generating a planar light pattern within a substantially same plane as the first plane of the frame. The set of known aspects facilitate both correcting an image distortion and a scaling of a spray pattern image generated by an image acquisition device during a spray application by a nozzle positioned in a physical relationship with the planar light pattern such that spray particles emitted from the spray nozzle pass through the planar light pattern while an initial image is acquired by the image acquisition device.

Abstract: A spray tip including a spray tip body and flow control element is provided. The flow control element includes a pre-orifice through which fluid can enter a primary fluid passage of the spray tip body. First and second discharge orifices are provided in a dome-shaped end wall of the spray tip body with each of the first and second discharge orifices being arranged on a respective one of opposing first and second sides of an apex of the dome-shaped end wall. Each of the first and second discharge orifices having an elongated slot-like configuration that maintains a substantially constant width as the respective discharge orifice extends from a first end to a second end and each and each extending a substantially equal distance to either side of the apex of the dome-shaped end wall.

Abstract: A liquid spraying system having an elongated liquid supply boom and a plurality of spray nozzle assemblies. The spray nozzle assemblies have a compact design with a nozzle body having a liquid inlet and a first spray nozzle carrying liquid outlet section on opposite upper and lower sides, second and third spray nozzle carrying liquid outlet sections disposed in transverse relation to the supply boom; and first and second check valve supporting sections disposed parallel to the liquid supply boom. A first of check valves is operable for controlling liquid flow from the supply boom to one or both of the second and third spray nozzles, and a second check valve is operable for controlling liquid flow from said liquid inlet to said first spray nozzle. The illustrated check valves are operable in response to the pressure of the supply liquid.

Abstract: A liquid slurry spraying system for spraying highly viscous slurries, including those with solids content, while maintaining the slurry in agitated condition for optimum discharge. The spraying system includes a nozzle body with a liquid flow passage having a liquid slurry inlet adjacent an upstream end and a spray tip at a downstream end, a valve needle supported in the liquid flow passage for reciprocating movement between spray tip closing and opening positions, and a bladed rotor having a plurality of vanes rotatably supported on the valve needle for rotation as an incident to the direction of liquid slurry from said liquid inlet when the valve needle is in an open position for agitating the liquid slurry for direction to the spray tip.

Abstract: An agricultural sprayer having a liquid supply conduit for directing selectively controllable pressurized liquid to a plurality of spray nozzle assemblies. Each nozzle assembly includes a nozzle body having a respective orifice member having an inwardly tapered conical section communicating with a smaller diameter discharge orifice. Each respective orifice member is made of a resilient and pressure responsive deformable material such that upon an increase in the pressure of the liquid supply said liquid flow passage and discharge orifice thereof can be altered to increase the rate through said orifice member and nozzle body by at least 75 percent and upon interruption of the supply of pressurized liquid to the orifice member the orifice member liquid flow passage and discharge orifice return to their original shape.