Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Processes – Including dissolving or entraining in liquid stream
Patent
1999-03-05
2000-05-23
Kashnikow, Andres
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Processes
Including dissolving or entraining in liquid stream
239 62, 239 69, 239 75, 239155, 239172, 239173, 239304, 239670, 239684, 222617, B05B 1700, E01H 1100
Patent
active
060656867
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to the distribution of a liquid composition over the ground and is particularly although not exclusively concerned with such distribution from travelling equipment, for example the distribution of a herbicide composition from a vehicle.
In order to keep the area around railway lines free from vegetation, the area is treated by spraying herbicide from a specially adapted train. The train is equipped with one or more spraying heads, which discharge a dilute herbicide composition over the area to be treated. The ratio of diluent (typically water) to the active herbicide may be of the order of 40:1. The train typically operates at speeds of less than 72 km/h, and the spraying operation tends to drench the area to be treated, to ensure that all vegetation to be killed receives a lethal quantity of the active herbicide.
Examples of specially adapted trains for applying herbicides along railway lines are disclosed in Railway Gazette International, vol.139, no. 9, September 1983, page 713,and vol. 126, no. 6, March 1970, pages 229-231. These vehicles are equipped with nozzles to which spray solution (concentrate mixed with water) is supplied. The quantity of concentrate in the solution is varied in dependence on the travel speed of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,054 discloses a tanker truck for agricultural use. The truck has a main tank for containing water, for example, and smaller auxiliary tanks for containing different kinds of agrochemicals. Desired agrochemicals from the smaller tanks are mixed with the water before being supplied to spray nozzles. The supply of liquids from the tanks is varied in dependence of the travel speed of the truck.
The need to dilute the active herbicide for operation on railway lines means that the trains have to carry a large quantity of water, and consequently the train needs to include at least one tank wagon with a capacity of 27,000 liters, and possibly up to six tank wagons. As well as the cost of the water itself, the need to transport it over the railway involves increased track access charges and power requirements.
It is known to treat small areas, such as light rail systems and railway depots, by using a road vehicle which is adapted to travel on rails, and which is provided with relatively small capacity tanks for water and herbicide. Such a vehicle applies the herbicide through hydraulic nozzles which deliver high volume sprays at low pressure. This also requires a large volume of water to be carried. Attempts have been made to apply the herbicide to the track itself by a centrally mounted CDA unit, while the area immediately to the side of the track (the cess) and the area further to the side of the track (the scrub) are treated by means of hydraulic nozzles. However, such a vehicle cannot operate effectively at speeds greater than 16 km/h, which makes it impractical for main line track treatment. Also, it has proved impossible to use a conventional CDA unit for spraying to the side of the track, even at 16 km/h, because the turbulence generated by the vehicle entrains the droplets issuing from the CDA unit, with the result that the herbicide fails to reach the ground to be treated in a controlled manner. Consequently, not only is vegetation adjacent the track left untreated, but there is also the possibility of wind drift with the result that herbicide reaches neighbouring land, which is not meant to be treated. This is unacceptable.
In a conventional high volume spraying system, the viscosity of the sprayed formulation is substantially constant at approximately the viscosity of the diluent, namely water. In practice, a constant flow rate of water is maintained to the spray nozzles, and, as the speed of the train varies, so the flow rate of herbicide, to be mixed with the water, is varied. However, because the proportion of active ingredient in the formulation applied to the ground is so small, variations in the quantity of herbicide within the formulation has very little effect on the physical properties of the formulation. However, if a c
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"Weedkiller train has advanced controls"; Railway Gazette International, vol. 139, No. 9, Sep. 1983, London GB, p. 173 XP002047819.
"Modern methods of weed control"; Railway Gazette International, vol. 126, No. 6, Mar. 20, 1970, London GB, pp. 229-231, XP002047820.
Betts-Williams Stuart Alan
Gill David Charles
Ganey Steven J.
Kashnikow Andres
Nomix-Chipman Limited
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