METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CREATING AEROSOLS

摘要

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.

主权项

1. An aerosol creation system, comprising:
a first pair of counter-rotating rollers; a first nip defined between the first pair of counter-rotating rollers, the first nip having an upstream side and a downstream side; a second pair of counter-rotating rollers positioned adjacent to the first pair of counter-rotating rollers; a second nip defined between the second pair of counter-rotating rollers, the second nip having an upstream side and a downstream side; a fluid source that coats at least one of the rollers in the first pair of counter-rotating rollers and at least one of the rollers in the second pair of counter-rotating rollers; a driving element structured to drive at least one of the rollers in the first pair of counter-rotating rollers and at least one of the rollers in the second pair of counter-rotating rollers 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 pair of counter-rotating rollers on the downstream side of the first nip until the first fluid filament breaks into a plurality of first droplets, and wherein a second fluid filament is stretched between diverging surfaces of the second pair of counter-rotating rollers on the downstream side of the second nip until the second fluid filament breaks into a plurality of second droplets.