GB2388062A - Generating a controlled amount of mist - Google Patents
Generating a controlled amount of mist Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2388062A GB2388062A GB0207821A GB0207821A GB2388062A GB 2388062 A GB2388062 A GB 2388062A GB 0207821 A GB0207821 A GB 0207821A GB 0207821 A GB0207821 A GB 0207821A GB 2388062 A GB2388062 A GB 2388062A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- droplet
- fluid
- vibrating member
- particles
- aerosol mist
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B17/00—Apparatus for spraying or atomising liquids or other fluent materials, not covered by the preceding groups
- B05B17/04—Apparatus for spraying or atomising liquids or other fluent materials, not covered by the preceding groups operating with special methods
- B05B17/06—Apparatus for spraying or atomising liquids or other fluent materials, not covered by the preceding groups operating with special methods using ultrasonic or other kinds of vibrations
- B05B17/0607—Apparatus for spraying or atomising liquids or other fluent materials, not covered by the preceding groups operating with special methods using ultrasonic or other kinds of vibrations generated by electrical means, e.g. piezoelectric transducers
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B17/00—Apparatus for spraying or atomising liquids or other fluent materials, not covered by the preceding groups
- B05B17/04—Apparatus for spraying or atomising liquids or other fluent materials, not covered by the preceding groups operating with special methods
- B05B17/06—Apparatus for spraying or atomising liquids or other fluent materials, not covered by the preceding groups operating with special methods using ultrasonic or other kinds of vibrations
- B05B17/0607—Apparatus for spraying or atomising liquids or other fluent materials, not covered by the preceding groups operating with special methods using ultrasonic or other kinds of vibrations generated by electrical means, e.g. piezoelectric transducers
- B05B17/0653—Details
- B05B17/0676—Feeding means
Landscapes
- Fire-Detection Mechanisms (AREA)
- Special Spraying Apparatus (AREA)
- Investigating Or Analyzing Materials By The Use Of Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
Abstract
In a method for generating a controllable amount of an aerosol mist of fluid, particularly for testing fixed detectors such as fire detectors a predetermined volume of fluid is received in the form of a droplet by a vibrating member 5 which is preferably a transducer. The fluid is adapted to break up the droplet into particles by oscillating the member 5 at a predetermined ultrasonic frequency. A circulating means such as a fan 6 arranged to cause a flow of gas over the vibratory member 5 and to carry away said particles in the form of an aerosol mist. The predetermined amount is supplied from a reservoir 1 via a pump 3 which meters the quantity of fluid supplied to the nozzle 4.
Description
A METHOD FOR THE GENERATION OF AN AEROSOL MIST OF FINE
PARTICLES OF A LIQUID
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for generating a 5 controllable amount of an aerosol mist of a fluid. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for generating an aerosol mist for testing fixed detectors such as fire detectors.
There are many methods in current use for the production of a mist or aerosol of fine particles including spray cans using a pressurized propellant and 10 pump type atomisers. Another method is to use an ultrasonic transducer immersed in a liquid to cause particles to break away from the surface of the liquid in the form of a fine mist.
However, all these methods rely, to some extent, on gravity to keep the liquid in position in its container and therefore cannot operate in all orientations, 15 particularly when honed upside down. Another disadvantage of the curt methods is that they are not well controlled wid1 regard to the amount of aerosol mist produced.
The object of the present invention is to mitigate the limitations presented in the current methods for generation of an aerosol mist and provide a method for 20 generating a controllable amount of aerosol mist which can be produced in all orientations. From one aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for generating a controllable amount of aerosol mist, said apparatus comprising: means for dispersing a predetermined volume of fluid in the forth of a 25 droplet,
an ultrasonic vibrating member arranged to receive said droplet of fluid and being adapted to brealc up said droplet into particles by oscillating at a frequency controlled by control means; and circulating means arranged to cause a flow of gas over said ultrasonic 5 vibrating member and to carry away said particles in the form of an aerosol mist.
From another aspect, the present invention provides a method of generating an aerosol mist, said method comprising the steps of: forming a predetermined size of droplet of said a fluid, supplying the droplet to an ultrasonic vibrating member; 10 oscillating said vibrating member at a predetermined frequency to cause said droplet of fluid to break up into particles, and creating a flow of gas over the vibrating member and to carry away said particles in the form of an aerosol mist.
One advantage of the present invention is the amount of material in the 15 aerosol mist can be accurately controlled since the droplet size delivered onto the ultrasonic vibrating member is accurately determined by a pump and nozzle.
In order that the present invention be more readily understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 20 Figure 1 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of the present invention. The preferred embodiment provides a method of generating a controllable amount of aerosol mist by placing a predetermined volume of fluid in the form of a droplet onto an ultrasonic vibrating member and oscillating the vibrating 25 member at an ultrasonic frequency so as to break up the droplet of fluid into an aerosol mist. A passage of gas, usually air, is then created over the ultrasonic vibrating member by an gas circulating means such as a fan so the aerosol mist is
( directed away from the ultrasonic vibrating member making the member ready to receive another droplet of fluid.
A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described by refemug to Fig 1. It will be appreciated that this embodiment is for example 5 purposes only and does not limit the invention to the described example.
This specific embodiment is for the production of synthetic smoke for the testing of fire detectors which may be mounted on horizontal, vertical or sloping surfaces. A storage means 1 is designed in such a way as to exclude air, so that fluid can be drawn out through a connecting means which is preferably in the form 10 of a tube 2. The storage means 1 may be in the form of a collapsible bag or may be in the form of a replaceable cartridge A pump 3 is driven by signals in the form of pulses from control electronics 8 so that for each pulse a predetermined size of droplet of fluid is expelled from a nozzle 4 onto an ultrasonic vibrating means which is preferably a transducer S. The droplet size is small enough to ensure that 15 the droplet will stay in position on the ultrasonic producer 5 due to surface tension whatever the orientation of the apparatus. Transducer 5 is driven by control electronics 8 so that it vibrates at an ultrasonic frequency, which causes the droplet of fluid to be broken up into very small particles which break away from the transducer 5. An air circulating means which may be a fan 6 is also driven by 20 the control electronics 8 and creates an air flow over the transducer 5, carrying away the fluid particles in the form of an aerosol mist 7. The size of the particles is determined by the frequency of the ultrasonic vibration, a higher frequency producing a smaller particle size. The ultrasonic transducer 5 will be operated for a sufficient length of time to ensure that all the droplet of fluid has been converted 25 to aerosol mist before a further droplet is expelled by pump 3, allowing the process to continue. Since the droplet size can be accurately determined by the
|l design of the pump 3, the amount of material in Me mist 7 can be accurately controlled. A power source 9 provides electrical power to the control electronics 8 and hence to pump 3, transducer 5 and fan 6.
Claims (4)
1. An apparatus for generating a controllable amount of aerosol mist, said apparatus comprising: 5 dispersion means for dispersing a predetermined volume of fluid in the form of a droplet; a vibrating member arranged to receive said droplet of fluid and being adapted to break up said droplet into particles on oscillation at a ultrasonic frequency controlled by control means; and 10 circulating means arranged to cause a flow of gas over said ultrasonic vibrating member and to carry away said particles in the form of an aerosol mist.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the vibrating member is a transducer.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the predetermined volume of fluid is small enough to ensure that the droplet will stay in position on the vibrating member due to surface tension.
20
4. A method of generating an aerosol mist, said method comprising the steps of: forrrung a predetermined size of droplet of fluid, supplying the droplet to a vibrating member; oscillating said vibrating at a predetermined ultrasonic frequency to cause 25 said droplet of fluid to break up into particles; and creating a flow of gas over the vibrating member and to carry away said particles in the forte of an aerosol mist.
lll ., À. ::,., I . 1 ..
S. The method according to claim 4, wherein the vibrating member is a transducer. 5 6. The method according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the predetermined size of droplet of fluid is small enough to ensure that the droplet will stay in position o the vibrating member due to surface tension.
.. .... ...CLME:
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB0207821A GB2388062A (en) | 2002-04-04 | 2002-04-04 | Generating a controlled amount of mist |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB0207821A GB2388062A (en) | 2002-04-04 | 2002-04-04 | Generating a controlled amount of mist |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB0207821D0 GB0207821D0 (en) | 2002-05-15 |
GB2388062A true GB2388062A (en) | 2003-11-05 |
Family
ID=9934269
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB0207821A Withdrawn GB2388062A (en) | 2002-04-04 | 2002-04-04 | Generating a controlled amount of mist |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (1) | GB2388062A (en) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7967690B2 (en) | 2006-03-13 | 2011-06-28 | Basic Holdings | Electric fires |
WO2017060716A1 (en) * | 2015-10-06 | 2017-04-13 | Thorn Security Limited | Smoke detector tester |
FR3043576A1 (en) * | 2015-11-18 | 2017-05-19 | Areco Finances Et Tech - Arfitec | MINIATURIZED SPRAY DEVICE WITH PIEZOELECTRIC TRANSDUCER |
ES2836906A1 (en) * | 2019-12-27 | 2021-06-28 | Zobele Espana Sa | Volatile substance diffusion device (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) |
DE102010031139B4 (en) | 2010-07-09 | 2023-05-04 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | fire alarm device |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2658738A1 (en) * | 1990-02-28 | 1991-08-30 | Dervoet Andre | System for spraying liquid with a controlled flow rate |
JPH04118066A (en) * | 1990-09-10 | 1992-04-20 | Izumi Kenkyusho:Kk | Producing equipment for air mixed with superfine mist |
GB2284364A (en) * | 1993-12-04 | 1995-06-07 | Atomic Energy Authority Uk | Aerosol generator |
GB2356362A (en) * | 1999-10-12 | 2001-05-23 | Lifecare Designs Ltd | Ultrasonic nebuliser |
EP1224948A1 (en) * | 2001-01-22 | 2002-07-24 | Bub AG | Process for gas humidification/sterilization |
-
2002
- 2002-04-04 GB GB0207821A patent/GB2388062A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2658738A1 (en) * | 1990-02-28 | 1991-08-30 | Dervoet Andre | System for spraying liquid with a controlled flow rate |
JPH04118066A (en) * | 1990-09-10 | 1992-04-20 | Izumi Kenkyusho:Kk | Producing equipment for air mixed with superfine mist |
GB2284364A (en) * | 1993-12-04 | 1995-06-07 | Atomic Energy Authority Uk | Aerosol generator |
GB2356362A (en) * | 1999-10-12 | 2001-05-23 | Lifecare Designs Ltd | Ultrasonic nebuliser |
EP1224948A1 (en) * | 2001-01-22 | 2002-07-24 | Bub AG | Process for gas humidification/sterilization |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
WPI Abstract Accession No 1992-180455 & JP 04118066 A * |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7967690B2 (en) | 2006-03-13 | 2011-06-28 | Basic Holdings | Electric fires |
GB2436212B (en) * | 2006-03-13 | 2011-06-29 | Basic Holdings | A simulated fire effect apparatus |
US8574086B2 (en) | 2006-03-13 | 2013-11-05 | Basic Holdings | Electric fires |
DE102010031139B4 (en) | 2010-07-09 | 2023-05-04 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | fire alarm device |
WO2017060716A1 (en) * | 2015-10-06 | 2017-04-13 | Thorn Security Limited | Smoke detector tester |
US10783771B2 (en) | 2015-10-06 | 2020-09-22 | Thorn Security Limited | Smoke detector tester |
AU2016335360B2 (en) * | 2015-10-06 | 2021-12-09 | Thorn Security Limited | Smoke detector tester |
FR3043576A1 (en) * | 2015-11-18 | 2017-05-19 | Areco Finances Et Tech - Arfitec | MINIATURIZED SPRAY DEVICE WITH PIEZOELECTRIC TRANSDUCER |
ES2836906A1 (en) * | 2019-12-27 | 2021-06-28 | Zobele Espana Sa | Volatile substance diffusion device (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB0207821D0 (en) | 2002-05-15 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |