A Reverse Venturi Atomization Chamber

Spray drift is one of the most significant issues presently facing agricultural applicators. Agricultural applicators are committed to the management of chemical drift and take responsibility on a daily basis for making good decisions in the field. Material that drifts off-site is material that is not applied to the target crop or pest and represents both wasted time and wasted material. This equals increased costs for the farmer, applicator and consumer. Materials that drift off-site can be a serious financial liability, particularly if surrounding crops are negatively impacted either by actual crop damage or by unacceptable, off-label, residues present on the crop. Environmental concerns for air and water quality protection and for habitat and endangered species protection make off-site spray drift an increasingly "hot issue". Many waterways, protected habitats and endangered species are adjacent to agricultural areas where materials are applied. Drift into/onto protected or particularly sensitive areas presents a serious liability for both the applicator and the environment. The proposed reverse venturi atomization (RVA) chamber is a potential strategy to mitigate the problem of off-site drift. By creating droplets within the RVA chamber where air speed in controlled, we propose to minimize the effects of air shear, reduce the overall percentage of droplets in the less than 200 micron range.