Spray Nozzle Atomization for Urea-Sulfur Fertilizer Homogeneity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing urea-sulfur fertilizers face challenges in achieving homogeneous distribution of sulfur and urea, often requiring additional mixing steps and additives, which increase costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A spray nozzle with a conveying channel featuring a separating pin and an atomizing channel with a swirl element, allowing for the separation and recombination of the melt, and the formation of microdroplets, which enhances homogeneity and eliminates the need for additional mixing steps or additives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If sulfur-coated urea particles are produced to improve miscibility of urea and sulfur, then homogeneity of mixture is improved, but particle size increases and sulfur release becomes non-uniform
Solution Approach 1:
The sulfur coating is segmented into fine particles with size d90 < 30 μm through controlled atomization during spray granulation, rather than using large intact sulfur particles. This segmentation maintains homogeneity while ensuring uniform sulfur release and appropriate particle size for microbial degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of sulfur particles by controlling their size distribution (d90 < 30 μm) through spray granulation parameters. This parameter change enables both homogeneous distribution and uniform sulfur release kinetics, resolving the contradiction between mixture homogeneity and particle size control.
2Stability of the object's composition
If additional mixing apparatus and additives are used to achieve homogeneous sulfur-urea mixture, then homogeneity is improved, but device complexity and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing and granulation functions are merged into a single spray granulation step where sulfur-coated urea particles are formed directly in the fluidized bed. This eliminates the need for separate mixing apparatus and additive incorporation steps, reducing device complexity while achieving homogeneous distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The spray granulation process itself generates the homogeneous sulfur-urea mixture through controlled atomization and particle coating, without requiring external mixing apparatus or additional homogenizing additives. The process is self-sufficient in achieving mixture homogeneity.
3Ease of operation
If larger sulfur particles are used, then handling and storage are improved, but sulfur release uniformity and microbial degradation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the sulfur particle size parameter to d90 < 30 μm through spray granulation, achieving the optimal balance between handling properties and uniform sulfur release. This parameter change ensures both adequate flowability for handling and sufficient surface area for uniform microbial degradation and sulfur release.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The spray nozzle achieves a sulfur particle size below 30 μm and ensures homogeneous distribution of sulfur in the urea matrix, reducing the need for additional processing steps and lowering production costs.
Implementation Method 1
The spray nozzle (4) comprises or is constructed from metals and/or metal alloys... The conveying channel (5) has at least one separating pin (7)... which allows for the separation and recombination of the melt
Implementation Method 2
the atomizing channel (6) has at least one swirl element (8)... The atomizing gas (9) is guided through the spray nozzle (1) via the atomizing channel (6)
Implementation Method 3
formation of microdroplets, which enhances homogeneity and eliminates the need for additional mixing steps or additives... achieves a sulfur particle size below 30 μm
Data Source
AI summary
A spray nozzle for production of urea fertilizer granules and/or urea-sulfur fertilizer granules has a conveying channel and an atomizing gas channel. The conveying channel has at least one separating pin and the atomizing channel has at least one swirl element. The swirl element has inserts, cutouts and moving and fixed elements. The disclosure also sets out a fluidized bed granulator with a spray nozzle for production of a urea-sulfur fertilizer, a process for producing a urea-sulfur fertilizer, and the use of the spray nozzle for production of fertilizer granules.