SUBMICRON SIZE DROPLETS OF WATER CHARGED EITHER

THE ARMY HAS A NEED TO PLACE A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL CHARGE ON POWDER PARTICLES USED TO GENERATE BATTLEFIELD SMOKE. CONVENTIONAL METHODS OF DOING THIS TASK ARE EACH NARROWLY LIMITED TO APPLY CHARGE OF A PARTICULAR POLARITY TO PARTICLES HAVING PARTICULAR PHYSICAL CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS. THE TURBULENT ELECTROGASDYNAMIC METHOD DOES NOT HAVE THESE LIMITATIONS, AND IT IS AS CONVENTENT AND PRACTICAL TO USE AS IT IS VERSATTLE. THIS METHOD INVOLVES TURBULENT MIXING OF A STREAM OF POWDER IN AIR WITH A SUPERSONIC STREAM OF AIR CONTAINING POSITIVELY OR NEGATIELY. TURBULENCE CAUSES THESE CHARGED AEROSOLS TO ATTACH TO THE PARTICLES, REGARDLESS OF THEIR SIZE, PHYSICAL, OR CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS. PHASE I RESEARCH WILL BE A THEORETICAL AND EXPERI- MENTAL EFFORT DESIGNED TO SHOW THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS APPROACH. A COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE EGD POWDER SPRAY GUN WILL BE USED TO STUDY A PROCESS SO THE ARMY WILL HAVE PRACTICAL EQUIPMENT ONCE THE METHOD IS PROVEN VIABLE.