Enhanced parallel path nebulizer with a large range of flow rates

A process for atomizing liquids directly from a surface of a body of a liquid at an interface between the liquid and a gas stream, comprising the steps of:

• providing a gas stream through a gas passage to a gas orifice, the gas stream having an inner region and an outer region, the inner region having a higher velocity than the outer region;
• providing a liquid in close proximity to the gas stream;
• directing said gas stream away from the surface of the liquid;
• providing an interface in the form of a projection between the gas stream and the liquid that draws or guides the liquid into the inner region of higher velocity of the gas stream;
• impacting the liquid by the gas stream at a velocity higher than would occur if the liquid was interacting with the gas stream at the outer region of the gas stream;
• breaking up the liquid into aerosol particles;
• and
• atomizing the liquid into a gaseous medium as a fine, highly consistent and uniform dispersion.

A process for atomizing liquids directly from a surface of a body of a liquid at an interface between the liquid and a gas stream, comprising the steps of:

• providing a gas stream through a gas passage to a gas orifice, the gas stream having an inner region and an outer region, the inner region having a higher velocity than the outer region of said gas stream,
• providing an interface in the form of a projection between the gas stream and the liquid by shaping the wall of the gas passage at the gas orifice so that a portion of the edge of the gas orifice extends into the higher velocity inner region of the gas stream;
• providing a liquid in close proximity to the gas orifice;
• directing said gas stream away from the surface of the liquid whereby liquid is drawn or guided along the portion of the edge of the gas orifice extending into the higher velocity inner area of the gas stream, and the liquid is impacted by the gas stream at a velocity higher than would occur if the liquid was impacted by the gas stream at the outer region of the gas stream;
• breaking up the liquid into aerosol particles;
• and
• atomizing the liquid into a gaseous medium as a fine, highly consistent and uniform dispersion.

A nebulizing device comprising:

• a liquid passage for receiving a liquid and delivering said liquid to a liquid exit area;
• a gas passage for transmitting a gas stream, said gas stream having an inner region with a higher velocity flow compared to an outer region;
• and
• an interface formed by shaping the wall between the liquid and the gas stream or formed by the addition of an object that provides a spout or surface between said liquid exit area and said gas stream for conveying said liquid into said inner region of said gas stream so that said liquid interacts with a flow of said gas stream that is greater in velocity than an outer region of said gas stream and said liquid is atomized into a gaseous medium as a fine, highly consistent and uniform dispersion by breaking up said liquid into aerosol particles by interacting said liquid with said gas stream at said higher velocity towards said inner region of said gas stream.

A nebulizer apparatus comprising:

• a liquid passage for delivering a liquid to a liquid exit area, said liquid passage having a predetermined diameter equal to or smaller than the diameter of a free drop of said liquid so that said liquid stretches across said liquid exit area by surface tension effects;
• or said liquid passage having a liquid flowing through the passage at a sufficient flow rate so that the liquid maintains said liquid exit area full;
• or said liquid passage being oriented in the apparatus such that said liquid in the passage fills the liquid exit area;
• a gas passage, for supplying a gas stream to a gas orifice, said gas orifice placed in close proximity to said liquid exit area and said gas stream having an inner region with higher velocity flow compared to an outer region thereof;
• and
• an interface in the form of a projection formed by shaping the gas orifice or by shaping the wall between the liquid exit area and the gas orifice, said interface directing the liquid from the liquid exit area into the gas orifice such that the liquid interacts at the higher velocity inner region of the gas stream to form a fine, highly consistent and uniformly dispersed mist.