EXPERIMENT OF WATER AEROSOL ESTIMATIONS OF DROPLET PARAMETERS UDC 556.113+556.114

Abstract. Recently we developed two types of ultrasonic sprayers, one operating in megahertz domain and the other aimed to work in kilohertz domain. This paper is devoted to droplet sizing for aerosols produced by both apparatuses. Two independent methods of physical characterizations are applied, microscopic method and static light scattering method. We conclude that water aerosols generated with a 1.7 MHz piezoelectric plate are rich with droplets of very fine and fine classes (diameters D < 2 µm). The same is valid for 40 kHz generator, except the relevant groups are those with D < 20 µm. Because our starting intentions was relating to possible applications of aerosols in tobacco industry and similar branches, these result must be evaluated as sufficiently encouraging. In the paper we present data, figures and tables for water as a working fluid, but a comment is made in order to relate conclusions with expected results for other (low-viscous) liquids. Finally, a short remark is done concerning a simple theoretical model of probability functions for droplet sizing in aerosols. Key words: Ultrasound, aerosol, droplet. 1