Methods and systems for creating aerosols

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9527056-B2
Application number	US-201414288068-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2014
Priority date	May 27, 2014
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

Aerosols can be created by filament stretching and breaking of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids by applying a strain to and stretching the fluid. The fluid is stretched along a strain pathway and forms a fluid filament between diverging surfaces. The stretched fluid filament breaks into droplets that can be harvested to form a mist or aerosol. The aerosol creation systems can include one or more pairs of counter-rotating rollers that are positioned adjacent to each other that stretch the fluid or a pair of pistons that move toward and away from each other to stretch the fluid. Some aerosol creation systems can include multiple pairs of counter-rotating rollers that are positioned in a circular, oval, or linear pattern. The aerosol creation system with multiple pairs of counter-rotating rollers can generate mist is one or more directions and can be positioned between two concentric rings or linearly, among other configurations.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aerosol creation system, comprising:
a first roller;
a second roller spaced apart from the first roller in a linear configuration;
a belt defining an interior belt space and having an interior surface, the first roller and the second roller positioned within the interior belt space such that at least a portion of a surface of the first roller and at least a portion of the surface of the second roller are in physical contact with an interior surface of the belt;
a first nip defined between the at least the portion of the surface of the first roller that is in physical contact with the interior surface of the belt, the first nip having an upstream side and a downstream side;
a second nip defined between the at least the portion of the surface of the second roller that is in physical contact with the interior surface of the belt, the second nip having an upstream side and a downstream side;
a fluid source structured to coat the first roller and the second roller with a fluid;
a driving element structured to drive the first roller and the second roller to cause fluid to be drawn through the upstream side of the first nip to the downstream side of the first nip and through the upstream side of the second nip to the downstream side of the second nip;
wherein a first fluid filament is stretched between diverging surfaces of the first roller and the interior surface of the belt when at least one of the belt and the first roller rotates, the first fluid filament stretched until it breaks into a plurality of first droplets, and
wherein a second fluid filament is stretched between diverging surfaces of the second roller and the interior surface of the belt when at least one of the belt and the second roller rotates, the second fluid filament stretched until it breaks into a plurality of second droplets.

2. The aerosol creation system of claim 1 , wherein the first roller and the second roller are configured to co-rotate within respect to each other.

3. The aerosol creation system of claim 1 , wherein the interior belt space is pressurized to cause pressure on the upstream sides of the first nip and the second nip to be greater than the pressure on the downstream sides of the first nip and the second nip.

4. The aerosol creation system of claim 1 , wherein the first roller and the second roller are structured to remain stationary and the belt rotates.

5. The aerosol creation system of claim 1 , wherein the belt includes a flexible or semi-flexible material.

6. The aerosol creation system of claim 1 , wherein the belt is structured to remain stationary and the first roller and the second roller are structured to co-rotate.

7. The aerosol creation system of claim 1 , wherein the belt, the first roller, and the second roller are structured to co-rotate.

8. The aerosol creation system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid source is a tray that contains fluid, and wherein a lower portion of the first roller, a lower portion of the second roller, and a lower portion of the belt are submerged in the tray.

9. The aerosol creation system of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the first roller and the second roller is adjustable.

10. The aerosol creation system of claim 1 , further comprising a third roller, spaced apart from the second roller on the opposite side of the first roller, the first roller, the second roller, and the third roller configured in a linear arrangement.

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Johnson David Mathew
• Beck Victor

Classifications

• B05B12/32

  Shielding elements, i.e. elements preventing overspray from reaching areas other than the object to be sprayed (nozzles with integral shielding elements B05B1/28) · CPC title

• B05B3/02

  with rotating elements (electric spraying discharge apparatus characterised by having rotary outlet or deflecting elements B05B5/04) · CPC title

• B01J13/0095 Primary

  Preparation of aerosols · CPC title

• B05B7/0075

  Nozzle arrangements in gas streams · CPC title

• B05B17/04

  operating with special methods · CPC title