Apparatus to prepare discrete hollow microsphere droplets

Apparatus for forming and ejecting on demand a discrete high temperature liquid droplet that is characterized by a hollow shell containing a select fill-gas, said apparatus containing a concentric arrangement of a liquid nozzle and a fill-gas nozzle with means to apply, control and synchronize pressure impulses to each nozzle independently, said apparatus containing impulse actuator temperature insulating drive members to communicate between impulse actuators mounted outside a high temperature furnace enclosure so as to produce liquid and gas pressure impulse pressures inside of the furnace, said apparatus comprising:

• a vessel having an interior for containing the high temperature liquid supply with pressure regulation, an impulse pressure generation chamber, and a liquid droplet discharge region containing an orifice;
• a liquid pressure impulse device that provides a physical impulse to the high temperature pressure generating chamber through the momentary compression of one of the impulse generating pressure chamber walls that includes a flexible diaphragm member;
• a vessel having an interior for containing the high temperature fill-gas supply, gas pressure regulator, impulse pressure valve, and a gas discharge region through an orifice that is concentric with the liquid discharge orifice;
• a fill-gas impulse pressure generator that provides a physical impulse of fill-gas in synchronism the liquid ejection pressure impulse that cooperates to produce a high temperature gas filled hollow droplet from the orifice said fill-gas impulse generator including a piezo-electric actuator valve that responds to electrical pulse generator signals to produce fill-gas pressure impulses in synchronism with fluid ejection pressure pulses.