Nanofiber manufacturing apparatus and nanofiber manufacturing method

A nanofiber manufacturing apparatus comprising:

• an effusing unit configured to effuse a solution which is a raw material liquid for nanofibers into a space;
• a first charging unit configured to electrically charge the solution by applying an electric charge to the solution;
• a guiding unit which forms an air channel for guiding the nanofibers that are manufactured;
• a gas flow generating unit configured to generate, inside said guiding unit, gas flow for transporting the nanofibers;
• a collecting apparatus which collects the nanofibers;
• an attracting apparatus which attracts the nanofibers to said collecting apparatus;
• and
• a diffusing unit which is an air channel for diffusing and guiding the nanofibers with the gas flow, said diffusing unit having a shape in which an opening area having a cross section perpendicular to a transporting direction of the nanofibers continuously increases in the transporting direction of the nanofibers.

A nanofiber manufacturing method comprising:

• effusing a solution which is a raw material liquid for nanofibers into a space;
• electrically charging the solution by applying an electric charge to the solution;
• generating gas flow and transporting the nanofibers by the generated gas flow;
• collecting the nanofibers;
• and
• attracting the nanofibers to a predetermined area
• compressing the space where the nanofibers transported by the gas flow are present so as to increase a density of the nanofibers in the space;
• and
• transporting the nanofibers while diffusing the nanofibers with the gas flow at a predetermined diffusion ratio.