Pulsed Spray Nozzle Air Entrainment Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing nozzle arrangements struggle to efficiently and cost-effectively add air to fluids, particularly in small devices, to enhance spray or foam quality, as current methods are bulky, expensive, and limited in air-to-liquid ratios, making them unsuitable for various applications including aerosols and dispenser pumps.
Innovation Solution
A nozzle arrangement that delivers fast pulses of fluid, allowing air to be drawn and pumped with each pulse, creating a series of fast pulsed discharges to mix with the fluid, either inside or outside the nozzle, achieving a high air-to-liquid ratio without the need for bulky components or high costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional methods (compressors, venturi holes, large pump chambers) are used to add air to fluid, then air can be mixed with liquor, but the devices become bulky, expensive, and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle arrangement uses periodic pulsed discharges instead of continuous flow. The pulsed element creates rapid opening and closing actions that generate multiple pulses per pump cycle, enabling air to be drawn in and mixed with the fluid during the pulsing action without requiring bulky compressors or large pump chambers
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the pump's own operating pressure and the pulsed nozzle's inherent mechanics to draw in and mix air with the fluid. The pulsed element creates pressure variations that automatically draw air into the fluid stream without requiring external air supply systems or additional power sources
2Manufacturing precision
If fast pulsed discharges are used to mix air with fluid, then spray quality improves with high air-to-liquid ratio, but the nozzle arrangement becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The pulsed element is integrated directly into the nozzle's outlet structure, combining the pulsing mechanism and spray generation function in a single compact assembly. The pulsed element works in conjunction with the nozzle's internal geometry (tangential inlet, spin chamber, circumferential gap) to achieve both pulsing and atomization without separate components
Solution Approach 2:
The pulsed element is designed to move dynamically between sealed and unsealed positions relative to the outlet orifice. This dynamic movement creates the pulsed discharge effect and controls the circumferential gap that generates the hollow cone spray pattern, enabling precise control of spray characteristics through mechanical motion
3Productivity
If multiple pulses per second are generated to appear continuous, then fluid delivery efficiency improves, but control precision becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the fluid's own pressure and flow characteristics as feedback to regulate the pulsing action. The pulsed element responds to pressure variations in the fluid stream, automatically adjusting the pulse frequency to maintain stable operation across different flow rates without requiring external control systems
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows the pulse frequency and discharge characteristics to vary with operating parameters such as fluid pressure and pump cycle rate. The pulsed element geometry and spring tension can be adjusted to optimize performance for different applications, from fast continuous-looking sprays to slower more distinct pulses
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
This solution provides a reliable, cost-effective, and space-efficient method to enhance spray or foam quality by ensuring a high air-to-liquid ratio, suitable for a range of applications, including aerosols and dispenser pumps, with the ability to produce more than 5 pulses per second and adjustable discharge volumes.
Implementation Method 1
A nozzle arrangement that delivers fast pulses of fluid, allowing air to be drawn and pumped with each pulse, creating a series of fast pulsed discharges to mix with the fluid
Implementation Method 2
allowing air to be drawn and pumped with each pulse, creating a series of fast pulsed discharges to mix with the fluid
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~2c
Figure 3
AI summary
A nozzle arrangement connected to a source of pressurized fluid mat produces a series of fast pulsed discharges of fluid in quick succession wherein the nozzle arrangement comprises a nozzle body with an inlet for the pressurized fluid into a chamber with a downstream wall with an outlet hole in said chamber wall wherein a prodder moves between a sealed and unsealed position in said outlet hole of the chamber wall and wherein a sprung plunger that is upstream of and connected to said prodder and has a annular seal that forms a seal between said plunger and the chamber creating a mobile chamber wall upstream of the downstream wall in said chamber, simultaneously moves between a downstream and an upstream position as the chamber fills with the fluid and then returns to a downstream position as the prodder returns from an unsealed position to a sealed position while the fluid is discharged.