Nozzle Device Cavity Design for High Viscosity Atomization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing nozzle devices are not robust enough to handle high viscosity liquids, often requiring large pressure drops which can lead to breakage during applications such as spraying drugs, and struggle to maintain fine aerosol droplets and prevent clogging by large molecules.
Innovation Solution
A nozzle device design featuring a substrate with a sieve-side membrane and a spray-side membrane, where the substrate has a first cavity portion with a larger cross-sectional area than a second cavity portion, creating a channel with a decreasing cross-sectional area, reducing the pressure drop on the spray-side membrane and enhancing mechanical strength while maintaining fine aerosol droplet formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a nozzle device is designed to handle high viscosity liquids with large pressure drops, then the atomisation capability is improved, but the mechanical strength and reliability deteriorate leading to breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a three-dimensional cavity structure within the substrate, creating a pressure equalization chamber that distributes pressure across multiple dimensions rather than concentrating it on a single membrane surface. This dimensional approach allows the membrane to withstand higher pressure drops without breaking.
Solution Approach 2:
The cavity structure acts as an intermediary between the high-pressure liquid flow and the spray membrane, absorbing and redistributing the pressure load. This mediator prevents direct transmission of high pressure to the membrane, thereby protecting it from breakage while maintaining atomisation capability.
2Productivity
If the spray membrane area is increased to improve atomisation, then the droplet formation is enhanced, but the pressure drop and risk of breakage increase
Solution Approach 1:
By creating a cavity with specific depth and cross-sectional dimensions, the patent distributes the pressure load across a larger three-dimensional volume, reducing the pressure per unit area on the spray membrane while maintaining effective droplet formation area.
3Reliability
If a filter is added to remove large particles, then the clogging resistance is improved, but the pressure drop increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the filter and spray membrane into a single integrated substrate structure, allowing the pressure drop across both components to be managed within a unified cavity system. This merging enables better pressure distribution and reduces the cumulative pressure burden on individual components.
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 design provides a more robust nozzle device capable of handling high viscosity liquids with reduced risk of breakage and clogging, while maintaining the formation of fine aerosol droplets, suitable for applications like medical drug delivery.
Implementation Method 1
The pressure drop over the nozzle device may for certain applications, for example for spraying drugs having a high viscosity, be required to be relatively large, typically a plurality of bar, such as 30-50 bar
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a nozzle device for atomisation of a liquid, wherein the nozzle device comprises: a substrate, a sieve-side membrane comprising a plurality of sieve-side orifices, the sieve-side membrane being provided on a sieve-side of the substrate, a spray-side membrane comprising a plurality of spray-side orifices, the spray-side membrane being provided on a spray-side of the substrate, wherein the substrate has a first cavity portion extending to the sieve-side membrane, and a second cavity portion extending from the first cavity portion to the spray-side membrane, thereby providing fluid communication, along a fluid communication axis, between the sieve-side orifices and the spray-side orifices, the first cavity portion having a larger cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of the second cavity portion, the cross-sections being with respect to the fluid communication axis.