Pre-orifice Spray Tip Turbulence Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low-pressure spray systems face challenges in achieving uniform spray patterns due to tailing effects, which are exacerbated by variations in paint viscosity and require higher pressures to eliminate, leading to increased costs and safety risks.
Innovation Solution
The development of pre-orifice spray tip configurations with engineered geometries that tune fluid turbulence intensity, allowing for uniform spray patterns at pressures below 3,000 PSI by introducing turbulence and dissipating it before the spray point, reducing tailing effects and enabling sharper edges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If high pressure is used to eliminate tailing effects, then spray pattern uniformity is improved, but safety risks and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter from high to low (below 3,000 PSI) while compensating through geometric modifications of the spray tip. The pre-orifice configuration and turbulence management features enable uniform spray patterns at reduced pressure, eliminating the need for high-pressure operation and its associated safety risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The spray tip incorporates localized geometric features including a pre-orifice region and turbulence dissipation structures at specific locations within the fluid passage. These local modifications create controlled turbulence and enhance mixing only where needed, achieving uniform spray patterns without requiring system-wide high pressure.
2Manufacturing precision
If high pressure is used to eliminate tailing effects, then spray pattern uniformity is improved, but system costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces the pressure parameter from high to low operation and compensates through geometric design. The pre-orifice configuration and passage geometry create effective turbulence and mixing at lower pressure, reducing energy consumption and system costs while maintaining spray pattern uniformity.
3Device complexity
If conventional spray tip geometry is used, then device simplicity is maintained, but tailing effects occur at low pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The spray tip geometry is segmented into distinct functional regions: a pre-orifice region for initial flow control, a turbulence generation zone, and a turbulence dissipation zone. This segmentation allows each region to perform its specific function in managing fluid flow and turbulence, achieving uniform spray patterns without excessive overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary pre-orifice structure and turbulence management features within the fluid passage. These intermediary elements mediate between the simple inlet geometry and the final spray outlet, creating controlled turbulence and mixing that eliminates tailing effects while maintaining relative geometric simplicity.
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
These configurations achieve substantially uniform spray patterns with reduced tailing effects at lower operating pressures, enhancing user safety and reducing costs by allowing for consistent application across various paint viscosities without the need for high-pressure systems.
Implementation Method 1
engineered geometries that tune fluid turbulence intensity, allowing for uniform spray patterns at pressures below 3,000 PSI by introducing turbulence and dissipating it before the spray point
Implementation Method 2
The mixing apparatus includes a first internal passageway for receiving a flow of resin having a portion of restricted diameter opening into an expanding passageway portion and one or more radial second passageways opening into the restricted diameter portion for delivering catalyst into the first passageway so that the resin and catalyst are thoroughly mixed by a venturi effect at substantially lower pressures than in prior systems
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B~1D
Figure 1E
AI summary
A spray tip configuration (750) for a low pressure fluid sprayer is presented. The spray tip configuration comprises an inlet orifice (786) configured to receive a fluid and to produce a turbulent flow at a known operating point. The spray tip configuration (750) also comprises an outlet orifice (788) configured to emit the fluid in a spray pattern at a turbulence intensity. The spray tip configuration (750) also comprises a passageway (790) fluidically coupling the inlet orifice (786) to the outlet orifice (788), with a plurality of portions configured to produce the turbulence intensity at the outlet orifice (788). The passageway (790) comprises a first portion (768) comprising an expansion chamber configured to provide an expanding cross-section from a first portion first end to a first portion second end. The passageway (790) also comprises a second portion (780) comprising a first hydraulic diameter (763), wherein the second portion is fluidically coupled, on a second portion first end, to the first portion second end. The passageway (790) also comprises a third portion (776) comprising a second hydraulic diameter (754), wherein the third portion (776) fluidically couples to the second portion (780) at a third portion second end. The passageway (790) also comprises a fourth portion (774) comprising a spray tip, wherein the fourth portion (774) is fluidically coupled, on a fourth portion first end, to a third portion second end, and, on a fourth portion second end, to the outlet orifice (788).