COMPRESSION/DECOMPRESSION JET ATOMIZATION

Applications for Vegetable Oil

• Booster pump increases pressure in bulk liquid in turn decreasing water droplets volume

• Discharge occurs through restricted, “sharpknife-like orifice” that lead to sudden reduction in pressure and explosive decompression

• Sudden decompression bursts water droplets into extremely small droplets due to high speed droplet deformation and expansion, resulting in atomization

Water Drop Deformation and Fragmentation due to ultra fast/sudden decompression

The ratio of a fluid's decrease in volume as a result of increase in pressure is given by its bulk modulus of elasticity. The bulk modulus for hydrocarbonbased fluids (vegetable oils) is approximately 250,000 PSI, (17,240 bar) which results in a volume change of around 0.4% 0.5% per 1,000 PSI (70 bar). The compression of vegetable oils results in storage of energy, similar to the potential energy stored in a compressed spring. Like a compressed spring, compressed fluid has the ability to do work. If decompression is sudden, the stored energy dissipates instantaneously. This sudden release of energy accelerates the fluid, which does work on water droplets and eventually atomize them.

Compression/Decompression Jet Atomization System Characteristics

• Small footprint

• Robust and durable

• Anti-clogging design

  • clean-in-place (CIP) not necessary

• Adjustable capacity (50 – 100%)

  • without energy inefficient recycle loop

• No erosion

• Energy efficient

• No Gas pockets in soap stock (crucial for yield)