Electrohydrodynamic atomization nozzle emitting a liquid sheet
AssigneeNanocopoeia, LLC
InventorsDaren Chen, Jingjie Zhang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments for producing un-agglomerated, monodisperse droplets using a liquid sheet are provided. Nozzles with exit slit openings shape a spray liquid into a thin liquid sheet as the spray liquid exits from the slit opening. Stable multi-jet operation is achieved by including notches along the edge of the slit. The notches separate the liquid sheet into multiple jets to provide anchoring and stable multi jet operation. In some embodiments, the liquid sheet electrospray techniques and nozzles described herein provide high mass throughput and versatile multiplexing spray systems while reducing the engineering effort and high manufacturing cost
Claims20
A nozzle for electrohydrodynamic atomization, said nozzle comprising:
- an inner rod;
- an outer tube concentrically aligned with said inner rod;
- an annular channel defined between said inner rod and said outer tube, said annular channel forming a circular slit at a spray end of said nozzle;
- and
- at least one electrically chargeable notch located on at least one of said inner rod and said outer tube proximate said circular slit.
A system for electrohydrodynamic atomization, said system comprising:
- a nozzle comprising:
- a source end;
- a spray end;
- a first component comprising a first surface;
- a second component comprising a second surface;
- a fluid channel defined between said first surface and said second surface, said fluid channel forming an exit slit at said spray end of said nozzle;
- and
- at least one electrically chargeable notch located on at least one of said first component and said second component proximate said exit slit;
- a voltage source electrically coupled to said nozzle and configured to supply a voltage to said at least one electrically chargeable notch;
- and
- a syringe pump in flow communication with said source end of said nozzle, said syringe pump configured to propel a spray liquid through said nozzle.
A method for electrohydrodynamic atomization, said method comprising:
- providing a nozzle comprising an inner rod, an outer tube concentrically aligned with the inner rod, an annular channel defined between the inner rod and the outer tube, the annular channel forming a circular slit at a spray end of the nozzle, and a plurality of notches located on at least one of the inner rod and the outer tube proximate the circular slit;
- supplying a voltage to the plurality of notches;
- and
- pumping a spray liquid through the annular channel of the nozzle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.