Free-surface electrospray technique using a multi-hole array

Abstract

The main obstacle of the electrospray method; especially cope-jet mode, to apply many industry fields is low throughput of electrospray method. One of the functioning modes of electrospray labeled multi-jet mode is alternative mode to solve to problem and to achieve high throughput. Because of the positional instability and polydispersity of generated droplet size, multi-jet mode is rarely studied to compare with cone-jet mode. To eliminate this shortcoming, we exploited free surface electrospraying system using arrayed hole at the side of the nozzle. For evaluation of the nozzle system, the electric current and size distribution of electrosprayed droplets were measured under various experimental conditions. The electric current in the multi-jet mode obeyed the same power law as the single cone-jet mode as a function of flow rate. In particular, both modes produced almost the same size distribution of droplets for a given average jet flow rate. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.