Method and apparatus for forming droplets from a magnetic liquid stream
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsGeorge J. Fan, Richard A. Toupin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One or more magnetic fields having non-uniform gradients is periodically applied to a magnetic liquid stream, which is preferably isotropic and virtually free of remanence, to create perturbations in the stream so as to form droplets therefrom with substantially uniform spacing and of substantially uniform size. If more than one of the magnetic fields is applied, the maximum strength of each field is spaced an integral multiple wave length from the maximum strength of the adjacent magnetic field with each magnetic field having substantially the same maximum strength. The wave length of the perturbation is preferably between 4d and 8d where d is the diameter of the stream.
Claims20
A method of forming droplets at substantially uniform spacing of substantially uniform size from a pressurized magnetic liquid stream including:
- periodically applying a magnetic field having a non-uniform gradient to at least one segment of the stream at a predetermined position in the path of the stream prior to the position in the path of the stream at which the stream would randomly break-up after exiting from an opening or the like during its flow;
- and selecting the maximum strength of the magnetic field to produce a perturbation in the stream having a wave length within the range at which the perturbation will grow.
An apparatus for forming droplets at substantially uniform spacing of substantially uniform size from a pressurized magnetic liquid stream including;
- means to supply the pressurized magnetic liquid stream along an axis from an opening or the like;
- and means to periodically apply a magnetic field having a non-uniform gradient to at least a segment of the stream after it exits from the opening and before the stream would randomly break-up to produce a perturbation therein having a wave length within the range at which the perturbation will grow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.