Electrostatic spray nozzles for abrasive and conductive liquids in harsh environments

A nozzle, comprising:

• a. a body including a liquid channel and a gas channel, the liquid channel terminating in a tip;
• b. a cover removably connected to the body, said cover comprising at least partially insulative material, the cover including:
• (i) an inner surface which cooperates with an outer surface of the body to form at least one void into which liquid emanating from the tip and gas emanating from the body may flow, the cover forming a channel through which the liquid and the gas flow, the channel adapted in shape to cause atomized liquid and gas to emanate properly from the channel into air surrounding the nozzle;
• (ii) an electrode at least partially surrounding the channel, adapted to create electrical charge in the liquid flowing in the channel;
• (iii) an outer surface which is shaped to reduce turbulence of air flowing adjacent to the cover;
• c. a conductive element adapted to couple the electrode to a power supply;
• d. a conductive surface connected to the cover, coupled to the conductive element and adapted to cause the potential at predetermined locations on inner surfaces of the cover to be substantially at the same potential;
• and
• e. at least one annular shaped cavity formed on an outside surface of the nozzle, the cavity adapted in shape to reduce reception of liquid, gas and other surface contaminants, and to reduce current flowing between the electrode and electrical ground.

A nozzle, comprising:

• a. a body including a liquid channel and a gas channel, the liquid channel terminating in a tip;
• b. a cover removably connected to the body, said cover comprising at least partially insulative material, the cover including:
• (i) an inner surface which cooperates with an outer surface of the body to form at least one void into which liquid emanating from the tip and gas emanating from the body may flow, the cover forming a channel through which the liquid and the gas flow, the channel adapted in shape to cause atomized liquid and gas to emanate properly from the channel into air surrounding the nozzle;
• (ii) an electrode formed of abrasion resistant material positioned adjacent to and at least partially surrounding the channel, adapted to create electrical charge in the liquid flowing in the channel;
• and
• (iiii) a conductive element adapted to couple the electrode to a power supply;
• and
• c. an outside surface formed on the nozzle adapted in shape to reduce current flowing between the electrode and electrical ground, said outside surface substantially forwardly tapered toward an outlet of the channel.

A nozzle, comprising:

• a. a body including a liquid channel and a gas channel, the liquid channel terminating in a tip;
• b. a cover removably connected to the body, said cover comprising at least partially insulative material, the cover including:
• (i) an inner surface which cooperates with an outer surface of the body to form at least one void into which liquid eminating from the tip and gas emanating from the body may flow, the cover forming a channel through which the liquid and the gas flow, the channel adapted in shape to cause atomized liquid and gas to emanate properly from the channel into air surrounding the nozzle;
• (ii) an electrode formed of abrasion resistant material positioned adjacent to and at least partially surrounding the channel, adapted to create electrical charge in the liquid flowing in the channel;
• and
• (iii) a conductive element adapted to couple the electrode to a power supply;
• and
• c. an outside surface formed on the nozzle adapted in shape to reduce current flowing between the electrode and electrical ground, said outside surface comprising an annular cavity.

A nozzle, comprising:

• a. a body that includes a liquid channel for transmission of liquid and a gas channel for transmission of gas, the liquid channel terminating in a tip, the tip and the body connected with no seams through which electrical current flows to the liquid;
• b. a cover removably connected to the body, said cover comprising at least partially insulative material, the cover including:
• (i) an inner surface which cooperates with an outer surface of the body to form at least one void into which liquid emanating from the tip and gas emanating from the body may flow, the cover forming a channel through which the liquid and the gas flow, the channel adapted in shape to cause atomized liquid and gas to emanate properly from the channel into air surrounding the nozzle;
• and
• (ii) an electrode formed of abrasion resistant material positioned at least partially surrounding the channel, adapted to cream electrical charge in the liquid flowing in the channel;
• c. the liquid grounded upstream from the tip;
• d. at least one surface formed on the nozzle to increase impedance of the surface to currents flowing between the electrode and ground, said surface;
• and
• e. an outside surface formed on the nozzle, said outside surface comprising at least one annular shaped cavity formed on the surface of the nozzle and adapted in shape to reduce current flowing from the electrode to ground.

An induction spray-charging nozzle comprising:

• a. a body including a liquid channel and a gas channel;
• b. a cover connected to the body, said cover comprising at least partially insulative material, the cover including:
• (i) an inner surface which cooperates with an outer surface of the body to form at least one void into which liquid and gas emanating from the body flow, the cover forming a channel through which the liquid and the gas flow, the channel adapted in shape to cause atomized liquid and gas to emanate properly from the channel into air surrounding the nozzle;
• (ii) an electrode at least partially surrounding the channel, adapted to create electrical charge in the liquid flowing in the channel;
• and
• (iii) an outer surface which contains:
• a. at least one cavity adapted in shape to reduce current flowing from the electrode to ground;
• and
• b. at least one field concentrator adapted in shape to concentrate the intensity of electrical fields in the vicinity of the field concentrator.

A nozzle, comprising:

• a. a body that includes a liquid channel for transmission of liquid and a gas channel for transmission of gas, the liquid channel terminating in a tip, the tip and the body connected with no seams through which electrical current flows to the liquid;
• b. a cover removably connected to the body, said cover comprising at least partially insulative material, the cover including:
• (i) an inner surface which cooperates with an outer surface of the body to form at least one void into which liquid emanating from the tip and gas emanating from the body may flow, the cover forming a channel through which the liquid and the gas flow, the channel adapted in shape to cause atomized liquid and gas to emanate properly from the channel into air surrounding the nozzle;
• and
• (ii) an electrode formed of abrasion resistant material positioned at least partially surrounding the channel, adapted to create electrical charge in the liquid flowing in the channel;
• c. the liquid grounded upstream from the tip;
• and
• d. at least one surface formed on the nozzle to increase impedance of the surface to currents flowing between the electrode and ground;
• and
• e. an outer surface formed on said nozzle, said outer surface substantially forwardly tapered toward an outlet of the channel.

A spray-charging nozzle, comprising:

• a. a nozzle body including a liquid channel for transmission of liquid, a gas channel, the nozzle body containing no seams through which electrical current flows to the liquid;
• b. a cover disposed on said body in fluid-tight manner, said cover including an outlet port through which atomized liquid and gas emanate through an outlet face of the cover into the air surrounding the nozzle in a desired spray pattern, said cover forming no portion of said liquid channel;
• c. an electrode disposed within said outlet port, upstream of said outlet face of said cover, downstream of said fluid channel and coupled to a power supply through no conduits which communicate with said liquid channel, said electrode adapted to impart a charge to the liquid that emanates into the air, charge from said electrode unable to migrate on surfaces of said nozzle between said electrode and a liquid line for providing liquid to said liquid channel without migrating across external surfaces of said nozzle:
• d. a liquid line, a gas line, and an electrical line for providing liquid, gas and voltage to the liquid channel, gas channel and electrode, respectively;
• e. the liquid grounded upstream of the outlet port;
• and
• f. the nozzle including an outside surface adapted in shape to increase impedance to current flowing from the electrode to ground.

An induction spray-charging nozzle comprising:

• a. a body including a liquid channel terminating in a tip and a cover removably connected to the body;
• b. the cover including an electrode and forming a channel through which liquid and gas flow, the channel adapted in shape to cause atomized liquid and gas to emanate properly from an outlet of the channel into the air surrounding the nozzle;
• c. at least one outer surface that is:
• (i) adapted in shape to reduce contaminant deposit on the nozzle by including a tapered surface that is tapered toward the outlet to (A) present a smaller surface area in the vicinity of the outlet than at other locations on the nozzle;
• and (B) present an aerodynamic surface that substantially decreases turbulent airflow in the vicinity of the nozzle;
• and
• (ii) adapted in shape to reduce electrical current flowing between the electrode and ground, by including surface features that are adapted in shape to increase the impedance presented by the outer surface to current flowing from the electrode to ground;
• and
• d. an electrode power supply which is coupled to the nozzle structure.

A nozzle, comprising:

• a. a body including a liquid channel and a gas channel, the liquid channel terminating in a tip;
• b. a cover removably connected to the body, said cover comprising at least partially insulative material, the cover including:
• (i) an inner surface which cooperates with an outer surface of the body to form at least one void into which liquid emanating from the tip and gas emanating from the body may flow, the cover forming a channel through which the liquid and the gas flow, the channel adapted in shape to cause atomized liquid and gas to emanate properly from the channel into air surrounding the nozzle;
• (ii) an electrode formed of abrasion resistant material positioned adjacent to and at least partially surrounding the channel, adapted to create electrical charge in the liquid flowing in the channel;
• and
• (iii) a conductive element adapted to couple the electrode to a power supply;
• and
• c. an outside surface formed on the nozzle adapted in shape to reduce current flowing between the electrode and electrical ground, said outside surface adapted in shape to reduce turbulence of air flowing around the nozzle and electrically to deflect matter emanating from the nozzle from entering cavities formed on outside surfaces of the nozzle.