PARAMETRIC STUDIES OF ELECTROHYDRODYNAMIC SPRAYING,
Abstract
The parameters influencing the charge-to-mass ratio of the sprayed liquid droplets are of primary concern in the development of a colloid propulsion system. Three such parameters studied in detail are the electric field at the capillary tip, the rate of mass flow through the capillary, and the electrical conductivity of the working fluid. Mathematical models developed to explain electrodydrodynamic spraying were based on (1) the mechanics of perturbation growth in fluid surfaces and (2) the kinetics of conduction in electrolytic solutions. Two techniques were employed to derive theoretical expressions relating the charge-to-mass ratio of the sprayed droplets to the various parameters. Recourse to a technique of energy minimization, applied to an ensemble of charged particles representing the aggregate collection of sprayed droplets, yields an expression for the probable charge-to-mass ratio of the particles in terms of the surface tension, density, and droplet radius. Detailed examination of the growth of perturbations in a fluid surface, applied to the liquid meniscus of a spraying capillary, yields an expression which relates the charge-to-mass ratio of the sprayed particles to the electrical conductivity, the electric field at the capillary, and the rate of mass flow through the capillary. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 19, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0466921
Entities
People
- Robert J. Pfeifer
Organizations
- University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign