Electrospinning Nozzle with Movable Needle for Dual-Mode Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrospinning nozzles are limited in producing nanofibers of varying diameters and require separate nozzles for pure and air electrospinning, leading to increased facility costs and inefficiencies due to magnetic field leakage and the need for high voltages.
Innovation Solution
An electrospinning injection nozzle with a nozzle body and detachable air jacket member, featuring needle locking holes and passages for adjustable needle members that can protrude to different lengths, allowing for selective pure or air electrospinning with controlled voltage application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the end of the solution extruding unit is recessed into the air injection hole to realize effective injection, then air electrospinning can be achieved, but the fiber formed may be caught by the air injection hole and clog it, limiting production to specific nanofiber diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The solution extruding unit is made movable relative to the air injection hole, allowing dynamic adjustment of the protruding length. This enables the system to switch between recessed position (for air electrospinning) and protruding position (for pure electrospinning), resolving the contradiction between injection effectiveness and fiber diameter versatility
2Reliability
If a protruding length of 1∼3mm is limited to carry out error-free electrospinning, then pure electrospinning can be achieved, but the nozzle cannot produce nanofibers with varying diameters through air injection
Solution Approach 1:
The movable solution extruding unit allows dynamic adjustment of protruding length between 1-3mm for pure electrospinning and recessed positions for air electrospinning, enabling both error-free operation and versatile nanofiber production with varying diameters
3Reliability
If separate pure electrospinning nozzles and air electrospinning nozzles are used to produce products with various structural layers, then each nozzle type can be optimized for its specific function, but facility costs increase and frequent nozzle changes are required
Solution Approach 1:
The electrospinning nozzle is designed with a movable solution extruding unit that can be positioned in different states (recessed or protruding) to perform both pure electrospinning and air electrospinning functions, eliminating the need for separate nozzle types and frequent changes while maintaining optimized performance for each mode
4Ease of manufacture
If the electrode is directly connected to the spinneret body, then electrospinning can be performed, but magnetic field leakage occurs requiring high voltage application
Solution Approach 1:
The solution extruding unit serves as an intermediary component between the electrode and the fiber solution, allowing electrical connection while preventing direct exposure of the electrode to the external environment, thereby reducing magnetic field leakage and enabling lower voltage operation
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
Enables flexible production of nanofibers with varying diameters and structural layers in a single-line process, reducing facility costs and achieving stable electrospinning with lower voltage requirements.
Implementation Method 1
electrospinning is based on the phenomenon wherein when an electrostatic force is applied to a polymer solution or a polymer melt having a sufficiently high viscosity, the solution or the melt forms a fiber
Implementation Method 2
an air injection hole extending downwards from the periphery of the solution extruding unit, wherein the fiber solution extruded from the solution extruding unit is injected together with compressed air that has been fed downwards from the periphery of the solution extruding unit through the air injection hole
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an injection nozzle for electrospinning including a nozzle body and an air jacket member detachably coupled with each other, and needle members coupled to the bottom surface of the nozzle body via injection holes of the air jacket member. The electrospinning device basically performs air electrospinning for injecting a fiber solution together with air while discharging the fiber solution through the needle members, and the needle members are exposed at the ends thereof by a length long enough to carry out error-free pure electrospinning without air injection if the air jacket member is separated. Therefore, pure electrospinning or air electrospinning can be selectively carried out.