Billericay Air Bubble jets are now being used by many of our customers and our own contracting division to reduce drift and improve leaf contact. The following information has been taken from Billericays own sales literature.
The Bubble Jets draw air into the stream of liquid being sprayed, producing two positive effects:
- They reduce the number of very small droplets - the ones that cause drift.
- They create air bubbles in the larger droplets which then collapse on contact with the leaf and the liquid disperses evenly.
This overcomes the problems of the conventional nozzle which forms both large and small droplets - the large ones running off the leaf and the small ones drifting.
Air Bubble Jets ensure that chemical contact with the leaf is improved and drift is reduced.
The liquid being sprayed passes through a removable tapered nozzle A which accelerates the liquid and projects the flow into the tapered mouth of the venturi B. This creates a vacuum which causes air to be sucked in through two slots marked C. The mixture of air and liquid is compressed as it passes through the mixing chamber D and is then sprayed through a fan nozzle E.
BCPC classes spray quality as Fine, Medium and Coarse. Jets which include air are not yet in this scheme.
The Air Bubble Jet is precision made in five sizes - 015,02,03,04 and 05 - which cover application rates from 37 to 430 litres per hectare. Pressure should be between 2.0 and 3.5 bar. The fan angle is about 100 degrees - this varies slightly according to the operating pressure as the mixture of air and liquid is compressable. Air Bubble Jets fit any standard nozzle body and can be used for both agricultural spraying machines and knapsack sprayers. They are normally supplied in packets of 10 and are coloured green, yellow, blue, red or brown according to size.
The PSD have now awarded the Billericay Air Bubble Jets with the following star ratings:
- 02 2 star at 2.0 bar
- 03 3 star at 2.0 bar
- 04 3 star at 2.0 bar
- 05 3 star at 2.0 bar
Under LERAP (Local Environment Risk Assessment for Pesticides) requirements, this type of nozzle enables users to reduce spray buffer zones to one metre when applying category B products, regardless of the size of watercourse or the application rate.
| Colour |
Number |
Metric |
Litres/Hectares at |
PRESS
bar |
FLOW
l/min |
6 km/h |
8 km/h |
10 km/h |
12 km/h |
16 km/h |
| |
0.15 |
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5 |
0.49
0.55
0.60
0.65 |
98
110
120
130 |
74
83
90
97 |
59
66
72
78 |
49
55
60
65 |
37
41
45
49 |
| |
0.2 |
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5 |
0.66
0.73
0.80
0.87 |
130
146
160
173 |
98
110
120
130 |
79
88
96
104 |
65
73
80
87 |
49
55
60
65 |
| |
0.3 |
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5 |
0.98
1.10
1.20
1.30 |
196
220
240
259 |
147
165
180
194 |
118
132
144
156 |
98
110
120
130 |
73
82
90
97 |
| |
0.4 |
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5 |
1.31
1.46
1.60
1.73 |
261
292
320
346 |
196
219
240
259 |
157
175
192
207 |
131
146
160
173 |
98
109
120
130 |
| |
0.5 |
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5 |
1.63
1.82
2.00
2.16 |
326
365
400
432 |
245
274
300
324 |
196
219
240
259 |
163
181
200
216 |
122
137
150
162 |
|
| Colour |
Number |
Imperial |
Imp. Gals/Acre at |
PRESS
PSI |
FLOW
GPM |
4 mph |
5 mph |
6 mph |
8 mph |
10 mph |
| |
0.15 |
30
35
40
45 |
0.11
0.12
0.13
0.14 |
8.3
9.0
9.6
10.2 |
6.6
7.2
7.7
8.1 |
5.5
6.0
6.4
6.8 |
4.2
4.5
4.8
5.1 |
3.3
3.6
3.8
4.1 |
| |
0.2 |
30
35
40
45 |
0.15
0.16
0.17
0.18 |
11.0
11.9
12.8
13.5 |
8.9
9.6
10.2
10.8 |
7.4
8.0
8.5
9.0 |
5.5
6.0
6.4
6.8 |
4.4
4.8
5.1
5.4 |
| |
0.3 |
30
35
40
45 |
0.22
0.24
0.25
0.27 |
16.6
17.9
19.1
20.3 |
13.2
14.3
15.3
16.2 |
11.0
11.9
12.7
13.5 |
8.3
8.9
9.6
10.1 |
6.6
7.2
7.6
8.1 |
| |
0.4 |
30
35
40
45 |
0.29
0.32
0.34
0.36 |
22.1
23.8
25.5
27.0 |
17.7
19.1
20.4
21.6 |
14.7
15.9
17.0
18.0 |
11.0
11.9
12.7
13.5 |
8.8
9.5
10.2
10.8 |
| |
0.5 |
30
35
40
45 |
0.37
0.39
0.42
0.45 |
27.6
29.8
31.9
33.8 |
22.1
23.8
25.5
27.0 |
18.4
19.9
21.2
22.5 |
13.8
14.9
15.9
16.9 |
11.0
11.9
12.7
13.5 |
|
|
