On surface area coverage by an electrostatic rotating bell atomizer

An electrostatic rotating bell atomizer was used to produce a spray of a 20 wt% aqueous glycerol solution. Droplet size distributions were measured by photographing droplets in-flight and using image analysis software to measure their diameters. Increasing the rotational speed of the bell-cup resulted in a decrease in the average droplet diameter. The fraction of area covered by spray droplets was measured for various bell-cup speeds using a high-speed camera positioned behind a vertical glass substrate on which the liquid was sprayed. An analytical model, based on probability theory, was used to predict the fraction of surface covered solely using the droplet flux and the droplet size. Results from the model were compared to experimentally measured fractions of surface coverage and showed good agreement. The minimum theoretical film thickness assuming full coverage was derived from the probabilistic model. When the minimum theoretical film thickness was divided by the droplet diameter, it was found to be only dependent on the spread factor. Experiments to measure the fraction of area covered were also conducted using an automotive paint. Increasing the paint flow rate increased the fraction of area covered. Increasing rotational speed reduced splat size but had little effect on coverage. Increasing shaping air 1 flow rate reduced splat size and increased surface coverage significantly. Application of an electrostatic potential increased splat diameter but enhanced surface coverage only slightly.

Automated summary

The experimental study focused on the effects of rotational speed of the bell-cup, paint flow rate, and shaping air flow rate on droplet size and surface coverage. The results showed that increasing rotational speed reduced droplet diameter but had little effect on coverage, while increasing paint flow rate and shaping air flow rate significantly increased surface coverage. The application of an electrostatic potential slightly enhanced surface coverage.