Effects of conducting liquid jet disintegration on specific charge of spray

This paper is a study of the effects of jet instabilities on the current du e to satellite charging compared to the main droplet current and the charge to mass ratio of highly conducting liquid. Two jet break up modes were inv estigated; the whipping mode of atomisation, using DC field, and the varico se mode of atomisation, employing an AC field superimposed on a DC field. F or the whipping mode of instability, the experimental results have shown th at the satellite current is two orders of magnitude higher than the main dr oplet current, while for the varicose mode, no satellite current is detecte d. The whipping mode of atomisation is a random phenomenon which produces p olydispersed spray. It is, therefore, very difficult to apply the energy mi nimisation principle. However, in the case of the sausage mode of atomisati on, the experimental results indicate that the energy minimisation approach pertaining to the disintegration of a charged liquid jet into uniform drop lets is valid. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.