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US 6,802,456 B2Granted
Electrostatic atomizer and method of producing atomized fluid sprays
AssigneeMicroEnergy Technologies, Inc
InventorsAlireza Shekarriz, Joseph G. Birmingham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Fluids are atomized using a miniaturized electrostatic microinjector. The microinjectors are capable of producing uniform droplets in several spray modes, and metering and dispersing very small volume fluids. The atomizer is useful in carburetion systems for internal combustion engines, to prepare samples for analytical methods such as MALDI, for fluid filtration and separation, and in other applications.
Claims30
An atomizer for a liquid comprising
- A) at least one microinjector including (1) an orifice through which the liquid is brought in contact with a pin emitter and (2) a conductive pin emitter extending outwardly from said orifice, the pin emitter having a radius of curvature in at least one location external to said orifice of no greater than 500 μm:
- B) means for introducing the liquid to be atomized through the orifice and to the pin emitter, and
- C) means for connecting said pin emitter to a voltage source,
- wherein said means for introducing the liquid to be atomized is adapted to provide the liquid to the pin emitter under a hydrodynamic pressure of zero to 5 inches of water.
1 more element
An atomizer for a liquid comprising
- A) a plurality of microinjectors, each including (1) an orifice through which the liquid is brought in contact with a pin emitter and (2) a conductive pin emitter extending outwardly from said orifice, the pin emitter having a radius of curvature in at least one location external to said orifice of no greater than 500 μm:
- B) means for introducing the liquid to be atomized through the orifice and to the pin emitter, and
- C) means for connecting said gin emitter to a voltage source,
- wherein the plurality of said microinjectors include a first set of at least one microinjector and a second set of at least one other microinjector, and said first set is operable independently of said second set.
1 more element
A method of producing liquid droplets comprising
- I) introducing a liquid into an atomizer comprising
- A) at least one microinjector including (1) an orifice through which the liquid is brought in contact with a pin emitter and (2) a conductive pin emitter extending outwardly from said orifice, the pin emitter having a radius of curvature in at least one location external to said orifice of no greater than 500 μm;
- B) means for introducing the liquid to be atomized through the orifice and to the pin emitter, and
- C) means for connecting said pin emitter to a voltage source;
- II) bringing the liquid into contact with the pin emitter, and
- III) applying sufficient voltage to the pin emitter such that the liquid is emitted from the pin emitter as a plurality of droplets,
- wherein said liquid is brought into contact with the pin emitter under an applied hydrodynamic pressure of from 0 to 5 inches of water.
4 more elements
A carburetion system for an internal combustion engine, comprising
- I) an outlet for a mixture of atomized fuel droplets and air;
- II) an air inlet which is in fluid communication with said outlet such that during operation air passes through said inlet, is mixed with fuel droplets and passes through the outlet;
- III) an atomizer that is in fluid communication with said outlet and which emits a plurality of fuel droplets into a stream of air that passes from the air inlet to the outlet, wherein said atomizer includes
- a plurality of microinjectors, each including (1) an orifice through which the fuel is brought in contact with a pin emitter and (2) a conductive pin emitter extending outwardly from said orifice, the pin emitter having a radius of curvature in at least one location external to said orifice of no greater than 500 μm;
- B) means for introducing the fuel through the orifice and to the pin emitter, and
- C) means for connecting said pin emitter to a voltage source,
- wherein the the plurality of said microinjectors include a first set of at least one microinjector and a second set of at least one other microinjector and said first set is operable independently of said second set.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.