Liquid atomization procedure

• US 6,241,159 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2000
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Universidad de Sevilla
• Original Assignee: Universidad de Sevilla
• Inventors: Ganan-Calvo, Alfonso, Barrero Ripoll, Antonio
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ganey, Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US09/640,504
• Time in Patent Office: 293 Days
• Field of Search: 239/8, 239/86, 239/290, 239/291, 239/338, 239/346, 239/371, 239/400, 239/418, 239/419, 239/419.3, 239/422, 239/423, 239/424, 239/428, 239/434.5, 239/548, 239/566, 239/568, 424/45, 261/76, 261/78.1, 261/78.2, 261/115, 261/116
• US Class Current: 239/8
• 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 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• 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: F23D 11/106 medium and fuel meeting at the burner outlet

Abstract

The object of the present invention is a liquid atomization procedure that uses appropriate geometric parameters and physical properties to ensure that the liquid to be atomized is discharged as a continuous, steady capillary microjet through a suitable orifice. The procedure relies on the microwithdrawal effect undergone by a liquid-gas interface when the gas is withdrawn from a point (orifice) near the liquid surface. The invented procedure is applicable to any mechanism involving homogeneous atomization of liquids (particularly electronic fuel injection).

Claims

1. A method of simultaneously producing a plurality of stable microjets;

comprising the steps of;

forcing a liquid through a first channel of a feeding source in a manner which causes the liquid to be expelled as a first jet;

forcing the liquid through a second channel of the feeding source in a manner which causes the liquid to be expelled as a second jet;

forcing a gas through a pressure chamber in a manner which causes the gas to exit the pressure chamber from a first opening positioned in front of a flow path of the first jet and simultaneously exit the pressure chamber from a second opening positioned in front of a flow path of the second jet;

allowing the first jet to emerge from the first opening and the second jet to emerge from the second opening thereby providing a plurality of stable microjets;

wherein a stable liquid-gas interface is maintained between the liquid of the first jet and the gas and the liquid of the second jet and the gas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first jet and the second jet are each accelerated by tangential sweeping forces exerted by the gas on surfaces of the first and second jets.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first jet and the second jet are each decreased in cross-section after being expelled, respectively from the first channel and the second channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein forces exerted by the gas on surfaces of the first jet and the second jet are sufficiently steady to prevent oscillation of the surfaces of the first jet and second jet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid has a viscosity in a range of from about 10⁻

4 to about 1 kg/m/sec.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid has a viscosity in a range of from about 0.3×

10<sup>−

3</sup> to about 5×

10<sup>−

2</sup> kg/m/sec.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid is forced through the first and second channels at a rate in a range of about 1 nl/sec to about 100 μ

l/sec.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid is forced through the first and second hannels at a rate in a range of about 0.01 to about 10 μ

l/sec.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the gas is forced through the first and second openings of the pressure chamber at a rate in the range of from about 50 m/sec to about 2000 m/sec.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the gas is forced through the first and second openings of the pressure chamber at a rate in the range of from about 100 to 500 m/sec.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second openings in the pressure chamber are each circular and are respectively positioned directly in front of the first and second jets.