atomizer and product development

Atomizer development as practiced at spray research, inc. is most often intimately entwined within larger process-development/optimization projects. Especially in the petro-chemical, pharmaceutical and bio-technology fields, cost-effectively bringing product innovations from the lab to market requires extremely tight control over the process variables.

above: droplet velocity|diameter correlation of high-velocity prototype atomizer

Cryogenic, high temperature and pressurized/vacuum environments each require specialized atomizer configurations to reliably produce the desired spray quality. Industrial atomizers developed to spray water cannot be easily adapted to use with high-molecular weight liquids, viscous sols or low surface tension fluids [see discussion of atomizer performance with non-water fluids].

spray research, inc. has extensive in-house capabilities to accelerate the optimization and development of atomizer designs. Our cnc-equipped prototype shop produces high-tolerance variations on an atomizer prototype geometry, minimizing the introduction of unintentional and confounding variables. Successful atomizer geometries are accurately captured with our video-probe CMM. Because our lab is equipped to handle a wide variety of non-water liquids, atomizer development can proceed utilizing the actual process fluid [or a close simulant].

Many prototype atomizer designs are tested under actual process conditions by employing our spray dryer, pressure chamber, process duct section, particle separation testbed and cryogenic and purpose-built chambers. Our high-speed video analysis capabilities are often essential in gaining a detailed understanding of the process of atomization of non-water fluids and the interaction between the spray and the process environment.