The Electrohydrodynamic Atomization of Liquids

The mechanism by which resistive liquids subjected to high electric potentials produce a filament and aerosol is still not well-understood. An experimental study of the onset parameters of this electrohydrodynamic (EHD) atomization mode is presented. Data on the effect of onset potential, capillary radius, liquid conductivity, and viscosity, together with an observed hysteresis in the current-voltage characteristics, provide the basis for a qualitative model of the phenomena presented here for the first time. The flow of liquid that produces the aerosol is understood in terms of the surface stress tensor.