Stabilized capillary microjet and devices and methods for producing same

• US 20010042793A1
• Filed: 05/11/2001
• Published: 11/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universidad de Sevilla
• Original Assignee: Universidad de Sevilla
• Inventors: Ganan-Calvo, Alfonso
• Granted Patent: US 6,357,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/001 Particle size control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/002 by flow deviation causing inertial separation of transported particles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0065 Inhalators with dosage or measuring devices A61M15/0028 takes precedence; dosage devices incorporated in aerosol cans B65D83/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/025 Bubble jet droplet ejection devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/064 Powder
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/232 using flow-mixing means for introducing the gases, e.g. baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/30 Injector mixers mixing by creating vortex flow B01F25/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3011 using a sheathing stream of a fluid surrounding a central stream of a different fluid, e.g. for reducing the cross-section of the central stream or to produce droplets from the central stream
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00378 Piezoelectric or ink jet dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/02 designed to produce a jet, spray, or other discharge of particular shape or nature, e.g. in single drops, or having an outlet of particular shapeB05B1/26, B05B1/28, B05B1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0475 with means for deflecting the peripheral gas flow towards the central liquid flow B05B7/0458 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/061 with several liquid outlets discharging one or several liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/065 an inner gas outlet being surrounded by an annular adjacent liquid outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/066 with an inner liquid outlet surrounded by at least one annular gas outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0884 the outlet orifices for jets constituted by a liquid or a mixture containing a liquid being aligned
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 43/04 Injectors peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 67/10 Injectors peculiar thereto, e.g. valve less type
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 69/047 : injectors with air chambers, e.g. communicating with atmosphere for aerating the nozzles F02M69/325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 69/08 : characterised by the fuel being carried by compressed air into main stream of combustion-air
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 11/106 : medium and fuel meeting at the burner outlet
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1409 : Handling samples, e.g. injecting samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1406 : Control of droplet point
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/01 : Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/773 : Nanoparticle, i.e. structure having three dimensions of 100 nm or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/888 : Shaping or removal of materials, e.g. etching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/89 : Deposition of materials, e.g. coating, cvd, or ald
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/896 : Chemical synthesis, e.g. chemical bonding or breaking

Abstract

The invention is directed to a stable capillary microjet and a monodisperse aerosol formed when the microjet dissociates. A variety of devices and methods are disclosed which allow for the formation of a stream of a first fluid (e.g. a liquid) characterized by forming a stable capillary microjet over a portion of the stream wherein the microjet portion of the stream is formed by a second fluid (e.g. a gas). The second fluid is preferably in a different state from the first fluid—liquid-gas or gas-liquid combinations. However, the first and second fluids may be two different fluids in miscible in each other. The stable capillary microjet comprises a diameter d_j at a given point A in the stream characterized by the formula: $d_j\cong {\left(\frac{8{\rho }_1}{{\Pi }^2\Delta P_g}\right)}^{\frac{1}{4}}Q^{\frac{1}{2}}$

wherein d_j is the diameter of the stable microjet, ≅ indicates approximately equally to where an acceptable margin of error is ±10%, ρ₁ is the density of the liquid and ΔP_g is change in gas pressure of gas surrounding the stream at the point A.

Claims

1. A stream of a first fluid characterized by forming a stable capillary microjet over a portion of the stream wherein the stable capillary microjet portion of the stream is formed by a second fluid moving at a velocity greater than that of the first fluid.

2. The stream of

claim 1

, wherein the first fluid is a liquid and the second fluid is a gas.

3. The stream of

claim 2

, wherein stable capillary microjet comprises a diameter d_j at a given point A in the stream characterized by the formula:

4. The stream of

claim 1

, wherein d_j is a diameter in a range of about 1 micron to about 1 mm.

5. The stream of

claim 1

, wherein the stable capillary jet portion has a length in a range of from about 1 micron to about 50 mm.

6. The stream of

claim 2

, wherein the stable capillary microjet is maintained, at least in part, by tangential viscous stresses exerted by the gas on a surface of the jet in an axial direction of the jet.

7. The stream of

claim 2

, wherein the microjet is further characterized by a slightly parabolic axial velocity profile.

8. A monodisperse aerosol of liquid particles in air, the particles characterized by having the same diameter with a deviation in diameter from one particle to another in a range of from about ±

3% to about ±

30%.

9. The aerosol of

claim 8

, wherein the deviation in diameter from one particle to another is in a range of from about ±

3% to ±

10%.

10. The aerosol of

claim 8

, wherein a given particle in the aerosol has a diameter in a range of about 0.1 micron to about 100 microns and other particles in the aerosol have the same diameter as the given particle with a deviation of about ±

3% to about ±

30%.

11. A stream of a liquid characterized by forming a stable capillary microjet over a portion of the stream wherein the stable capillary microjet position of the stream is formed by a gas moving in a direction substantially parallel to that of the stream of liquid wherein the liquid stream and gas are moved by the application of physical pressure.

12. The stream of

claim 11

, wherein the Weber number is in a range of from about 1 to about 40 wherein the Weber number is defined by the following equation:

13. The stream of

claim 12

, wherein the Weber number is in a range of from about 5 to about 25.

14. The stream of

claim 11

, wherein Ohnesorge number is less than one, wherein the Ohnesorge number (Oh) is defined by

15. A method of analyzing a compound in a liquid, comprising the steps of:

applying physical pressure to force a first liquid through a channel of a feeding source in a manner which causes the first liquid to be expelled from an exit opening of the channel;

forcing a fluid selected from the group consisting of a gas and a second liquid which is immiscible with the first liquid through a pressure chamber in a manner which causes the fluid to exit the pressure chamber from an exit orifice in front of a flow path of the first liquid expelled from the exit opening of the channel, wherein a stable first liquid-fluid interface is maintained and the first liquid forms a stable capillary jet focused on the exit orifice of the pressure chamber;

emitting a plus of energy through the stable capillary jet;

receiving energy from the plus;

analyzing energy received to determine information regarding a compound in the first liquid.

16. The method of

claim 15

, wherein the energy is selected from the group consisting of infrared, and ultra violet.

17. The method of

claim 16

, wherein the fluid is a gas.

18. The method of

claim 17

, wherein stable capillary microjet comprises a diameter d_j at a given point A in the stream characterized by the formula:

19. The stream of

claim 18

, wherein d_j is a diameter in a range of about 1 micron to about 1 mm.

20. The stream of

claim 18

, wherein the stable capillary jet portion has a length in a range of from about 1 micron to about 50 mm and wherein the stable capillary microjet is maintained, at least in part, by tangential viscous stresses exerted by the gas on a surface of the jet in an axial direction of the jet.