Variable Orifice Science

When sprayers are equipped with the new variable orifice nozzle that opens and closes according to the flow rate needed, they deliver much better spraying results.  Older designs use a fixed orifice nozzle that works poorly at both low and high speeds.  O-Nozzle sprayers are designed to give the exact same flow rates and spray patterns at any speed you will use.

Here is what happens with fixed orifice nozzles:

At low speeds they don’t maintain the spray pattern. As you approach or leave a stop sign, they dribble and drip.  Typically the sprayer must be traveling at 10 mph or more before the spray pattern fills out and goes where you want it. 

Some machines try to get around this problem by having the electronic controller call for a constant spray volume from 15 mph or so all the way down to 1 mph to produce a uniform spray pattern.  Unfortunately, this means that the slower the truck goes, the greater the excessive flow becomes.  For example, at 1 mph it is spraying 15 times too much.      

When this happens, the road becomes slippery and dangerous, especially at intersections.  This feature also wastes material.

At high speeds, the fixed orifice becomes a choke point and won’t pass the necessary volume called for when traveling on the highway.  Depending on the hole size in the old fashioned nozzles, the spray coming out may be only half of what is needed.  So highways will be dangerous and slippery because they lack enough treatment to successfully melt the snow and ice.

Another problem is caused by the sprayer traveling at high speeds, creating a great cloud of fog and spray when anti-icing or de-icing, which seriously disrupts traffic.

• The nozzle opening size changes automatically as needed.

• You get the exact spray rate you want for any speed or application rate.

• The nozzle won’t drip when the sprayer stops.

• You get zero velocity spraying which means the spray stream goes where you want without fogging or misting.  This makes spraying much safer for other drivers.