Nozzle device and nozzle for atomisation and/or filtration and methods for using the same

Abstract

Nozzle device and nozzle for atomisation and/or filtration as well as methods for using the same. The present invention relates to a nozzle and nozzle device for atomisation, in particular a micro machined reinforced nozzle plate, that may produce small liquid droplets in air (spray) or into a liquid (emulsion) with a narrow droplet size distribution and to make small air bubbles into a liquid (foam) and to methods of making the same. The invention is further related to a nozzle part for filtration as well as means and methods to facilitate atomisation and filtration.

1 . A nozzle device having a nozzle for atomisation of a fluid, the nozzle comprising a nozzle plate support body having a cavity extending from a first main surface to a second main surface thereof, and comprising a nozzle plate having at least one nozzle orifice in fluid communication with said cavity at said first main surface side of said nozzle plate support body characterized in that said support body is provided with filtration means which comprise a filtration plate which is in fluid communication with said cavity at said second main surface side of said nozzle plate support body.  
     
     
         2 . A nozzle device as claimed in  claim 1  characterized in that the filtration means comprise a filtration plate support body having a cavity which carries the filtration plate at a main surface thereof across from the nozzle plate.  
     
     
         3 . A nozzle device according to  claim 2  characterized in that the filtration means are directly connected to the nozzle plate support body.  
     
     
         4 . A nozzle device according to anyone of claims  1 - 3 , characterised in that the nozzle plate comprises a deepened region stretching towards the nozzle plate support body and in that the at least one nozzle orifice is provided within said deepened region.  
     
     
         5 . A nozzle device according to  4  characterized in that said deepened region lies typical 2-200 micron offset to a surrounding portion of said nozzle plate.  
     
     
         6 . A nozzle device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the filtration plate is provided on the nozzle plate support body at the area surrounding the cavity.  
     
     
         7 . A nozzle device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the nozzle plate support body is formed of silicon, particularly a <110> wafer.  
     
     
         8 . A nozzle device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the thickness of the nozzle plate is less than 2 micron.  
     
     
         9 . A nozzle device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that said at least one orifice has a length which is less than six times a diameter thereof, and in particular is shorter than said diameter.  
     
     
         10 . A nozzle device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that said orifice has a diameter between 0.4 and 10 micron.  
     
     
         11 . A nozzle device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that a first zone of said first main surface of said nozzle plate which surrounds said nozzle orifice at least partly is substantially hydrophobic.  
     
     
         12 . A nozzle device according to  claim 11  characterized in that a second zone of said first main surface of said nozzle plate which surrounds said first zone at least partly is substantially hydrophilic.  
     
     
         13 . A nozzle device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that a drain plate with at least one drain orifice is provided at a distance to said first main surface of said nozzle plate, defining a drain channel.  
     
     
         14 . A nozzle device according to any of claims  1 - 10  characterized in that an area of said first main surface of the nozzle plate at least partly surrounding said at least one nozzle orifice is substantially hydrophilic and that a next area on the nozzle plate, across from said orifice, is hydrophobic.  
     
     
         15 . A nozzle device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that an inner wall surface of said at least one nozzle orifice is substantially hydrophilic.  
     
     
         16 . A nozzle device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that said at least one nozzle orifice slightly protrudes out of said first main surface of the nozzle plate.  
     
     
         17 . A nozzle device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that a first part of the nozzle plate is movable with respect to another part of the nozzle plate, at least at elevated pressures, through the provision of a long slit shaped nozzle orifice.  
     
     
         18 . A nozzle device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the nozzle plate has been placed at an angle between 10° and 90° with respect to an external flow channel of the nozzle device.  
     
     
         19 . A nozzle device according to anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that the nozzle plate is received in flow channel of a flow guiding device, which flow channel tapers down in a downstream direction at least locally.  
     
     
         20 . A nozzle device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the nozzle plate is provided with a number of orifices for liquid flow together with a number of orifices for gas flow, particularly air flow.  
     
     
         21 . A nozzle of the type as applied in the nozzle device of any of the preceding claims for atomisation or filtration.  
     
     
         22 . A nozzle according to  claim 21  characterized in that at said first main surface said cavity has a cross-section having a width of less than 250 micron and having a length of more than 300 micron  
     
     
         23 . A nozzle according to  claim 22  characterized in that said width of said cross-section is less than 100 micron  
     
     
         24 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 23  characterized in that the nozzle plate and the nozzle plate support body are covered by a caustic resistant coating, particularly a silicon nitride coating.  
     
     
         25 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 24  characterized in that said cavity within said nozzle plate support body is provided with a relatively shallow flow channel at the first main surface, particularly having a depth of 10-300 micron.  
     
     
         26 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 25  characterized in that the at least one orifice is slit-shaped and placed parallel to a width of the nozzle plate.  
     
     
         27 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 26  characterized in that at the nozzle plate is in open communication with at least one further nozzle plate in one or more directions through at least one additional cavity in the nozzle plate support body.  
     
     
         28 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 27  characterized in that a coating for improved strength is provided on the nozzle plate, particularly a parylene coating.  
     
     
         29 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 28  characterized in that a glass substrate is anodically bonded to the nozzle plate and nozzle plate support body assembly and that the glass substrate is provided with at least one flow channel at a surface thereof which is in open communication with the cavity of said support body.  
     
     
         30 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 29  characterized in that said flow channel is formed by powder blasting.  
     
     
         31 . A nozzle according to  claim 29  or  30  characterized in that the glass substrate is provided with a number of flow channels wich are placed in comb like structures tapering in length and/or in height.  
     
     
         32 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 31  characterized in that the nozzle plate is provided with a piezo-electric actuator device.  
     
     
         33 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 32  characterized in that the at least one orifice has a groove like structure.  
     
     
         34 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 33  characterized in that the nozzle plate comprises a group of nozzle orifices which are placed closely together.  
     
     
         35 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 34  characterized in that the nozzle plate comprises a zone along a boundary of the cavity which is at least substantially free of any nozzle orifice and has a width which is at least a number of times as large as the thickness of the nozzle plate.  
     
     
         36 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 35  characterized in that the nozzle plate has a porosity of at least 30%.  
     
     
         37 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 36  characterized in that a spacing between said at least one nozzle orifice and a further nozzle orifice is between three and thirty times a diameter of the nozzle orifice.  
     
     
         38 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 37  characterized in that the nozzle plate is embedded in a ring shaped support wich is ready to use in standardised commercial filtration holders.  
     
     
         39 . A nozzle according to any of claims  38  characterized in that the nozzle plate is countersunk to a depth of 10 to 500 micron in the ring shaped support.  
     
     
         40 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 39  characterized in that the cavity in the nozzle plate support body exposes at least substantially the entire active portion of the nozzle plate which spans the cavity to enable full microscopic observation.  
     
     
         41 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 40  characterized in that an optic transparent cover slip is placed over the nozzle plate in such a way that a flow channel with a depth of 50 to 500 micron is present between the nozzle plate and the cover plate.  
     
     
         42 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 41  characterized in that the nozzle plate is provided with an immuno binding (or Elisa coupling) agent.  
     
     
         43 . A nozzle according to any of claims  42  characterized in that the nozzle plate is provided with a magnetic layer enabling the coupling of immuno magnetic beads.  
     
     
         44 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 43  characterized in that the nozzle plate is provided with a metallic layer facilitating optic non-transparency, non quenching, electrolysis and electric heating applications.  
     
     
         45 . A nozzle according to any of claims  21 - 44  characterized in that the nozzle plate is provided with a sol/gel ultra-filtration coating or a gas permeation layer comprising palladium.  
     
     
         46 . Method for micro filtration of beer, milk and other beverages with a nozzle as claimed in anyone of claims  20 - 44  using ultrasound in a broad frequency spectrum between 100 Hz-1 MHz, preferably under 15 kHz or above 50 kHz.  
     
     
         47 . Method of using a nozzle as claimed in anyone of claims  21 - 46  for jetting, filtering, foaming and emulsification characterized by moving the nozzle tangential and/or orthogonal with respect to the fluid in contact with the nozzle plate.  
     
     
         48 . Method according to  claim 47  characterized in that the nozzle is moved by means of an electronic actuator which is driven to an amplitude of 1 to 100 micron and a frequency of 10 Hz-10 MHz.  
     
     
         49 . Method according to  claim 48  characterized in that the nozzle is freely suspended to alllow vibration at its eigen-resonance frequency.  
     
     
         50 . Method according to  claim 49  characterized by providing an electrical connection between the nozzle plate and an outer housing of an atomisation device to faciltate a short-circuit between an user and the atomisation device.  
     
     
         51 . Method of atomisation of a fluid with a nozzle plate as claimed in anyone of claims  21 - 46  in which the contribution of the kinetic regime is larger than the contribution of the viscous regime.  
     
     
         52 . Method of emulsification with a nozzle plate as claimed in anyone of claims  21 - 46  with relatively large orifices with a diameter between 1.0 and 50 micron, using an external flow guiding device having a flow channel that narrows down in the downstream direction, at least locally to cover the nozzle plate at least at an active area thereof.  
     
     
         53 . Method to make double emulsions with a nozzle as claimed in anyone of claims  20 - 46 .  
     
     
         54 . Method of making small shadow patterns on a substrate using a nozzle as claimed in anyone of claims  20 - 46 .