J. ngrk.

Engng Res. ( 1977) 22, 93-96

RESEARCH

Calculation
of Spray
in a Moving

NOTES

Droplet Trajectory
Airstream

J. A. MARCHANT*:

1.

Introduction

Spray droplets can be deflected intentionally,

for example by a ducted fan designed to change
their direction, or by natural forces, i.e. wind, which is usually unintentional
and undesirable.
In both cases, some means of calculating the deflection is useful, to design a suitable deflection
system or to assess the extent of the undesirable
effects.
2.

Theory

2.1. Aerodynamics qfspray droplets

Changes in the speed or direction of a spray droplet are brought about by aerodynamic
and
gravitational
forces acting on it. If the droplet presents a symmetrical aspect to the air stream and
is not rotating in relation to it, then there is no aerodynamic
lift force present and only the drag
force, along with any gravitational
force, need be considered.
Berry has summarized
the work of various authors and has shown that the drag coefficient of
a droplet is substantially
the same as that for a solid sphere for low Reynolds numbers.
The
discrepancy between the coefficients is zero for R,, ~=0 and about IO?/<)for R, 1 1000. increasing
rapidly after this figure.
For a droplet diameter of 500 urn, a Reynolds number of 1000 represents a velocity of about
30 m/s at the usual ambient temperatures.
Consequently
most crop spraying applications
are
well within this range, and drag coefficients for solid spheres can be used.
2.2. Equations ofmotion
on the droplet. It is assumed that the forces are in a vertical
Fig. I (right) is a velocity diagram for
plane and hence the gravitational
force has been included.
the air and droplet velocities and the relative velocity.
Fig. I (left) shows the forces acting

Fig. I. Left, axis convention

National
Received

Institute
3 May

of Agricultural
1976;

accepted

Engineering,
in revised

form

and forces

actitrg on droplet.

Silsoe
7 July

1976

93

Right,

velocity diagram

94

SPRAY

DROPLET

TRAJECTORY

LIST OF SYMBOLS

area of droplet presented to airstream

acceleration of droplet
drag coefficient
diameter of droplet
aerodynamic drag force
acceleration due to gravity
mass of droplet
Reynolds number
time
velocity of droplet
velocity of air stream
V,, velocity of air stream relative to droplet

The velocity of the air stream relative

[ Vs, 1, is given by
1 VS,j =

and its inclination

to the positive

displacement in x-direction
displacement in y-direction
n
inclincation of V, to positive x-direction
inclination of V,,, to positive x-direction
/yl inclination of V to positive x-direction
kinematic viscosity of air
p
density of air

Subscripts
0
initial value
x,y component in x or y direction

to the droplet

[(V, cos a-

x-direction
cos y =

determines

VJ2+(

V, sin a-

the drag force.

V,v)2]+

Its magnitude,
. ..(I)

by
V, cos a-

V,

I K,I

V, sin a-V,

sin y =

IKPI

. ..(3)

where

The drag force i; in +he direction

i.e.

v, = vcose,

. ..(4)

V, = V sin 0.

. ..(5)

of Vs, and its magnitude

is a function

of the drag coefficient,

Fd = =$C,pAV2,,
where A is the area presented

to the air stream

. ..(6)

or

A = anD2.
The drag coefficient
tables,* where

Applying

Newtons

is given as a function

Second

Law of Motion

of the Reynolds

. ..(7)
number

in standard

in the x- and y-directions

Fd cos y = ma,,
Fd sin y-mg
The velocities

in the x- and y-directions

aerodynamic

. ..(9)

= ma,.

can be obtained

. ..(lO)

by integrating

Eqns

(9) and (10).

95

.I.A. MARCHANT

The given initial conditions

are the components

of the initial velocity,

I, = I, cos 0, f

so

a,dt,

. ..(Il)

a,,dt

. ..(12)

0
f

V, sin B,,+

V, =

and the positions

can be obtained

by a further

integration,
f

X=

. ..(13)

VA,
0
i f

J=

V,dt.

..(14)

No initial conditions
from the origin.

need be included

in Eqns (13) and (14) as it is assumed

that the droplet starts

3. Examples
The following examples have been calculated using a computer program written in FORTRAN
for an I.C.L. 4-70 computer.
The integrations
were carried out using the Runge-Kutta
algorithm3
which integrates in a step-by-step fashion.
The time step for such a numerical integration
procedure must be chosen within the framework
of two conflicting
requirements.
It must be
small enough
to preserve
accuracy
and to prevent
numerical
instability
occurring
yet
not too small so as to give unacceptably
large solution times. Although rules are available3 giving

20 -

-~

--

F
E -2oE
E -4O-

L?
%
;5
\

14
-80

-100

-,;o

??

+q

-100

0
20

-80

-60

-40

-20

20

Fig. 2.

Droplet

trajectories.

the stability bounds

this non-linear case
and the calculations
time was reasonable
was acceptable.

Numbers

Dlsplocement

411

60

80

100

(mm)

at points shown thus: ??indicate rime in ms.

example numbers in Table I

Curve numbers correspond

for the numerical integration

of sets of linear equations, they do not
and so a trial and error method was used. A step size was chosen
made. This was then halved and the calculations
repeated. As the
and the two sets of results differed negligibly, it was decided that the

to

apply in
(0.002 s)
solution
step size

SPRAY

96
Table 1 summarizes
the initial
trajectories of the droplets.

conditions,

droplet

DROPLET

TRAJLCTORY

sizes and air speeds and Fig. 2 shows the

TABLE I

Summary of example run conditions

Example
no.
1
2
3
4
5

D, w
200
300
300
300
500

K, mls

(1,degrees

10
10
I.5
15
0

-~90
-90
180
180
0

V, m/s
2.5
5
7.5
7.5
I

O,,degrees
0
0
45
-135
60

REFERENCES

Berry, E. X. Equations for calculating the terminal velocities of water drops. J. appl. Meteorol., 1974
13 (2) 108
* Streeter, V. L. Fluid Mechanics. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1962
3 Hamming, R. W. Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers. New York : McGraw-Hill, 1962