Evaluating of Different Types of Agricultural Nozzles Locally Used in Iraq
Authors: Dahri Ali 
Published: February 2024

The experiment aimed to Manufacture a device for checking the nozzles and testing its efficiency and to study the effect of research factors on the studied traits. The device was manufactured locally through using materials available in the Iraqi market. The system is Both Hydraulic and electronic (ISO 5682-1)1 relay on sensors technology and the test platform was built and designed on a movable trolly at the department of Agricultural Machines and Equipment / College of Agricultural Science / University of Baghdad. The design includes the use of mechanical water pump and electrical AC water pump. The design includes a nozzle holder that can accommodate three nozzles per test. The design also consists of spreading wings and stationary wing that can accommodate 50 vessels and 50 ultra-sonic sensors. All that is controlled by a main control unit which consists of three branch modules (each one of them is responsible to collect and analyze data from several sensors on each of the wings. The idea behind the design is to merge between actual spraying and the use of electronic sensors to analyze the size of the sprayed liquid in each of the vessels, the concept of the design is based upon Volumetric distribution of the liquid. The concept of the device was based on using ultra sonic sensors to measure the volumetric distribution of liquids. The experiment aimed to determine the effects of these factors on flow rate, spraying angle, sprayed area, spraying swath, volumetric distribution (CV), and symmetry. The experiment was conducted at the college of Agricultural science, Baghdad University. The results showed that the spraying pressure had a non-significant effect on flow rate. However, increasing the pressure from 3.0 to 5.0 and then to 7.0 bar resulted in flow rates of 1.314, 1.286, and 1.36 l/m, respectively. The status of the nozzle (new or worn) did not significantly affect the flow rate, with new nozzles registering a slightly higher flow rate of 1.327 l/m compared to worn nozzles (1.312 l/m). On the other hand, the type of nozzle had a significant impact on flow rate, with plastic, brass, and steel nozzles registering flow rates of 1.243, 1.422, and 1.29 l/m, respectively. Regarding the spraying angle, the results indicated that the spraying pressure had a significant effect. Increasing the pressure from 3.0 to 5.0 and then to 7.0 bar resulted in spraying angles of 132, 132, and 136 degrees, respectively. The nozzle status significantly affected the spraying angle, with worn nozzles resulting in a higher angle of 137 degrees compared to new nozzles (130 degrees). However, the type of nozzle did not significantly affect the spraying angle. For the sprayed area, the spraying pressure had a significant effect, with higher pressures resulting in larger sprayed areas. Worn nozzles also significantly increased the sprayed area compared to new nozzles. The type of nozzle had a significant impact on the sprayed area, with plastic, brass, and steel nozzles resulting in areas of 70.4, 80.44, and 89.16 cm2, respectively. The experiment proved that nozzles must be tested periodically, otherwise they start to perform beyond the parameters they were designed to perform with.