Patent — available for licensing
High-Speed Droplet Generator
A NASA invention available to explore as a licensing opportunity.
About this technology
Overview
Current methods for generating water droplets often require a tradeoff between droplet size and velocity. Small, atomized droplets can be accelerated to high speeds, while larger droplets tend to move slowly. This technology offers the best of both worlds: generating relatively large water droplets (up to 100 micrometer diameter) at high velocity (up to 115 m/s). The droplet generator was developed at NASA Glenn Research Center to provide a reliable way to evaluate icing effects and water's impact on aerospace components during flight tests and wind tunnel studies. By precisely controlling droplet size and speed, the technology ensures repeatable water droplet impact conditions for sensor calibration and materials testing. For icing studies, this technology solves challenges related to splashing, pooling, and other challenges that can impact the accuracy of hot wire anemometer probes. And unlike other sprayers which either atomize droplets or fail to achieve high velocity with large droplets, this novel design propels intact, well-defined droplets for more controlled experiments. With tunable parameters and a narrow spray area, the droplet generator may be valuable to aerospace research technology developers and various other fluid spray applications.