Flow-limited field-injection electrostatic spraying for controlled formation of charged multiple jets of precursor solutions: Theory and application

Charged multijets of precursor solutions were produced by flow-limited field-injection electrostatic spraying. The number of jets was precisely controlled by adjusting the flow rate of the solution and the current field-injected into it. Field injection was effected by inserting a high-voltage tungsten needle inside an insulating nozzle containing the solution. A theory, based on instability analysis, was formulated to describe the multijet formation and enable calculation of the number of jets and the size of the drops resulting from jet breakup. The theory is in good agreement with the experiment.