Bent Capillary Tube Aerosol Generator for Energy-Efficient Vaporization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerosol generators are inefficient in terms of energy consumption and compactness, particularly when generating aerosols for inhalation devices, as they require higher pressures and have less efficient heat transfer due to linear capillary tube designs.
Innovation Solution
A capillary tube aerosol generator with at least one bend, featuring fluid inlets and an outlet along the bend, which is heated to volatilize fluid and mix with ambient air, allowing for a compact and energy-efficient aerosol generation with the option of multiple fluid inputs and a heating mechanism made from electrically resistive materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a linear capillary tube design is used, then the structure is simple, but energy consumption is high and heat transfer efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The capillary tube is designed with a bent or curved configuration instead of a linear straight tube. This curvature increases the surface area contact between the tube wall and the liquid aerosol formulation, improving heat transfer efficiency and reducing the energy required to vaporize the liquid while maintaining a compact device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The bent capillary tube design allows the tube to be folded or coiled within a compact space, effectively nesting the extended heat transfer path within a small footprint. This achieves high surface area contact for efficient heat transfer without increasing the overall device size.
2Productivity
If higher pressures are used for aerosol generation, then aerosol output is increased, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the capillary tube by introducing bends and curves, which increases the effective surface area for heat transfer. This allows efficient aerosol generation at lower pressures by improving the heating efficiency, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining productivity.
3Volume of moving object
If the capillary tube is made compact, then device size is reduced, but heat transfer efficiency may decrease
Solution Approach 1:
By curving or bending the capillary tube, the design packs a longer tube length into a smaller volume. This increased length provides greater surface area for heat transfer, improving efficiency while maintaining a compact device footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The tube is configured to coil or fold within the compact device housing, nesting the extended heat transfer path within a minimal external volume. This achieves both compactness and efficient heat transfer.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The bent capillary tube design reduces energy requirements for vaporization, achieves efficient aerosol generation with potentially multiple fluid inputs, and maintains a consistent temperature for aerosol quality, while offering a compact footprint.
Implementation Method 1
the capillary tube can be made of an electrically resistive heating material such as stainless steel and the heating mechanism can be a power supply with leads attached to the capillary tube to pass electrical current at least along the bend to heat the capillary tube
Implementation Method 2
heating the capillary tube to a temperature sufficient to volatilize fluid in the capillary tube... the volatilized fluid expands out of the outlet and mixes with ambient air to form an aerosol
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for generating aerosol comprises a capillary tube comprising at least one bend, fluid inlets, and an outlet along the bend. The capillary tube is heated to a temperature sufficient to volatilize fluid in the capillary tube, such that the volatilized fluid discharges from the outlet to form an aerosol.