Abstract
In the present work, a series of experiments have been performed on electro-hydrodynamic atomization of non-conducting liquid using a charge injection type nozzle. Effects of liquid flow rate, input voltage, and distance between the needle and the ground electrode (nozzle-embedded metal plate) have been examined. For fixed electrode distances, total and spray currents increase with the increase of liquid flow rate and input voltage. When the distance between the needle tip and the ground electrode becomes closer, the total, leakage and spray currents increase, while the onset voltage for the dielectric breakdown decreases. When the electric field strength of the liquid jet exceeds that for the air breakdown, a portion of the electric charges in the liquid jet is dissipated into the ambient air, and the charge density shows a limiting value. Atomization quality can be improved by increasing the liquid flow rate due to the higher charge density and the enhanced aerodynamic effect.