Distinctive flow properties of liquid jet generated by EHD pump and conical nozzle

Abstract

The electrohydrodynamic liquid jets induced by the mechanism which is referred to as pure conduction pumping were investigated in isothermal weakly conducting liquids, HFC43-10 and HCFC123. The properties of the liquid jets (flow velocity, pumping pressure, and flow pattern) were examined by using grounded electrodes of four different types opposite a pseudo-doughnut electrode under an applied DC voltage. These electrode systems gave rise to a powerful liquid jet, but in the working liquids used here, there was an effect of the voltage polarity on the flow direction. In order to create a more effective liquid jet with high directivity, a special nozzle (referred to as a conical nozzle in this paper) was used together with the electrode system. This nozzle can produce a distinctive pattern (spiral structure) of jets emerging from the outlet of the nozzle. In this paper, the spiral structure of the liquid jets has been analyzed using the basic equations of fluid mechanics. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.