What Are The Factors To Be Considered For Rotary Spray Ball Installation?

1. Spatial positioning

The core principle of the installation position is 'centre symmetry and three-dimensional coverage'. Ideally, the rotary spray ball should be mounted vertically at the top centre of the vessel to ensure that the spray trajectory spreads in a standard helix when rotating. The height adjustment has to be verified by on-site simulation: when pre-running with water, observe whether water marks appear on the bottom edge of the vessel; if there is a dry zone, the installation height has to be adjusted downwards; on the contrary, if the top inner wall is not thoroughly cleaned, the installation height has to be shifted upwards by 5-10 cm. Obstacle avoidance is a difficult part of the spatial planning. When the horizontal distance between the rotary spray ball and the mixing paddles, thermometers, etc. is less than 1 metre, it is necessary to verify whether there is a shadow zone for the spray by software simulation (e.g., Flow Simulation) or by physical obstruction testing. If necessary, tilted installation (≤ 15 °) or combined rotary spray ball layout can be used to eliminate the blind zone through the staggered spraying of multiple balls.

2. Fluid parameters

Each rotary spray ball has a defined fluid performance window - the manufacturer's P-Q curve (pressure-flow graph) should be strictly referred to. Pre-installation system calculations include: along-stream pressure loss (length of pipe × resistance factor per metre), local resistance loss (number of valves/elbows × equivalent length) and vertical head loss. Redundant design is recommended to ensure that the actual supply pressure is 10-15% higher than the minimum requirement, and that the upper pressure limit (e.g. 1.2 times the rated pressure) is set by a relief valve to prevent overpressure from causing excessive atomisation or mechanical damage.

3. Connections and pipework

The connection of the rotary spray ball needs to take into account both sealing and maintenance convenience. The food industry prefers the clamp type interface (e.g. DN50 sanitary quick-fit), which is made of 316L stainless steel with EPDM seals and can be disassembled and reassembled within 10 seconds to meet the daily CIP requirements. In chemical industry scenarios, welded interfaces (with flanges pre-fabricated in advance) are preferred due to their excellent vibration resistance, but attention should be paid to the effect of weld thermal deformation on the coaxiality of the ball.

rmation on the coaxiality of the ball.