Sonimist
Sonimist Nozzles are a line of two-fluid nozzles that are well suited for applications that require extremely small droplet diameters. They work at much lower liquid and gas pressures than air assist nozzles - resulting in much lower operating costs. The standard material of construction is 316 stainless steel. There are ten sizes to choose from with varying liquid flow capabilities. The droplets from each nozzle can be characterized by a bell-shaped distribution curve. All Sonimist nozzles will produce micron size droplets as some percentage of their total spray. In general, as the total liquid spray rate increases, so does the average droplet diameter of the cloud. For applications where droplet diameter is critical, it may be preferred to utilize multiple smaller nozzles to achieve the desired liquid flow rates. Our in-house Engineers can help you with the proper sizing for your application.
How They Work
Compressed air or gas energizes the Sonimist nozzle; therefore, there is no piezoelectric effect or electricity needed. A sonic field is created at the throat of the nozzle as the compressed gas accelerates and reaches the velocity of sound.
High frequency waves created by the resonator cavity produce a chopping effect that breaks the liquid stream into a fine, evenly dispersed cloud of extremely small droplets. The Sonimist nozzle produces droplet sizes significantly below those of conventional air atomizers - mean droplet diameters of 10 microns are obtained when spraying water in certain nozzles. This makes the Sonimist nozzle ideal for use in applications such as humidification, evaporative cooling and spray coating, spray drying and other applications that require extremely small droplets.
Advantages
- Variable Spray Pattern - On Models 700-1100, the spray can be adjusted from a soft, hollow, radial configuration to a narrow, fast stream while in use
- Suitable for Spraying a Wide Variety of Liquid Densities and Viscosities
- Can Operate in Any Position or Direction -Nozzles may be handheld, machine-mounted, or fixed.
- Low Pressure Operation - Nominally 20 psi. Activated by compressed air or gas at about 60 psi
- No Moving Parts
Specifications
| Nozzle Model Number |
Liquid Spray Range (Water) |
Liquid Pressure Req'd (psi) |
Gas Pressure Req'd - Air (psi) |
Gas Flow Rate - Air (scfm) |
Avg. Droplet Diameter (microns) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSS-600-1 | 1-5 ml/min | 9 | 30 | < 1 | 8 |
| HSS-600-2 | 5-20 ml/min | 10 | 30 | 1 | 10 |
| HSS-700-1 | 0.01-0.05 gpm | 20 | 60 | 12 | 20 |
| HSS-700-3 | 0.04-0.10 gpm | 25 | 60 | 12 | 25 |
| HSS-900-1 | 0.05-0.08 gpm | 30 | 60 | 12 | 35 |
| HSS-900-2 | 0.10-0.20 gpm | 30 | 60 | 18 | 50 |
| HSS-900-3 | 0.20-0.50 gpm | 30 | 60 | 22 | 60 |
| HSS-900-5 | 0.50-1.20 gpm | 30 | 60 | 35 | 90 |
| HSS-1100-1 | 1.0-3.0 gpm | 35 | 60 | 60 | 150 |
| HSS-1100-2 | 2.5-8.0 gpm | 35 | 60 | 80 | 200 |
Please note that the numbers given above are nominal and are based on spraying water at ambient temperatures with air as the gas source. Liquid viscosity and the liquid-to-gas ratio in the nozzle largely determine droplet size. In general, the higher this ratio the smaller the droplet. There are, of course, upper limits to this statement.
Model 600
- Atomizes small volumes with low air pressure and low air consumption
- Ideal for applications such as inhalation therapy or droplet research where a small fixed volume is required on a continuous basis
Models 700, 900, 1100
- A hollow resonator chamber, located in the sonic field, develops resonant vibrations that are transmitted to the gas stream. Liquid is injected into the gas stream near the resonator chamber and is atomized by the emanating waves
- Droplet size obtained with a given fluid is influenced by the frequency of these waves, spacing between resonator chamber and air orifice, gas/liquid flow, and liquid properties-viscosity and surface tension.
Applications
- Food Industry - product coating, spray drying
- Pharmaceutical Industry - aerosol spray coating, humidification, spray drying
- Painting and Coating - thin, even applications
- Chemical Industry - aiding reactions, cleaning
- Electronic Industry - thin films, cleaning
- Environmental Control - air and water treatment, scrubbing, deodorizing, humidification, defoaming, evaporative cooling
- Container Industry - anti-static coating, disinfecting
- Printing Industry - controlled, even coating
- Research - particle size studies, cloud chambers
- Medical - thin layer chromatography, lung therapy, disinfecting
- Combustion - fuel injection
- Optics - coatings
- Automatic Machinery - cooling, impregnating