Atomizer nozzle

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A perfumery atomizer

An atomizer nozzle is an aspirator nozzle for producing a fine spray of a liquid based on the Venturi effect.

Principle of operation

When a gas is injected under pressure through a tube with a decreasing section, it speeds up, generating a pressure drop at the narrowest point (due to Bernoulli's principle).

The reduced pressure, due to the pressure difference between the two points, sucks up a liquid from a reservoir through a narrow tube into the moving gas flow, and projects it forward as a fine spray of droplets (although not atoms as the name suggests).

Principle of operation of an atomizer

They may be automated or manually operated, the latter being typically by means of a manual pump (rubber ball or piston), this being a traditional type of atomizer used for perfume.

Applications

Atomizer nozzles are used for spraying perfumes, for applying paint, in fuel injection systems, and in spray drying installations.

An airbrush is used for artwork and is an example of an atomizer nozzle. Air is passed in down the right hand tube, and the nozzle sucks up the paint from the receptacle and a very fine spray of paint is produced which gives an extremely soft edged coloration quite unlike that of a brush.

See also

• Nebulizer
• Humidifier
• Dehumidifier