An inexpensive uniform-size aerosol generator

A simple, inexpensive apparatus for generating aerosol particles with uniform size can be built from commonly available inkjet printer technology. The apparatus is capable of producing a continuous stream of liquid droplets at frequencies up to order 104 Hz, or it can produce single droplets on demand. At low frequencies (103 Hz) where coalescence is not important, droplets have a radius of approximately 17 νm and initial velocity of approximately 7 m s-1. The aerosol generator can be used with water, and the aerosol output is steady over hours. © 2006 IOP Publishing Ltd