ELECTROSTATIC FUEL INJECTOR

THE PROPRIETARY SPRAY TRIODE ATOMIZER IS THE ONLY ELECTROSTATIC SPRAYER CAPABLE OF GENERATING CHARGED DROPLET PLUMES OF INHERENTLY RESISTIVE HYDROCARBON FUELS AT ARBITRARY FLOW RATES BY PURELY ELECTRICAL MEANS. IT IS ALSO THE ONLY ATOMIZER FOR WHICH A FIRST PRINCIPLES, CONSTANT FREE MODEL EXISTS. IN ADDITION, SINCE A QUANTITATIVELY PRECISE MODEL OF THE ELECTROSTATIC SPRAY PROCESS ALSO EXISTS, MORE IS KNOWN FUNDAMENTALLY ABOUT ELECTROSTATIC ATOMIZATION AND CHARGED SPRAYS THAN ABOUT ANY OTHER MEANS OF DROPLET SIZES AND PATTERNATION CHARACTERISTICS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR FUEL SYSTEM USE. THESE NOZZLES ARE CAPABLE OF PROVIDING INTENSELY SELF-DISPERSIVE, DEEPLY THROTTEABLE, DROPLET SPRAYS OF VISCOUS FUELS AT MODEST VOLTAGES. THIS 6 MONTH ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT EFFORT IS DIRECTED TOWARD THE DESIGN AND CHARACTERIZATION TESTING OF SUCH A DEVICE OPERATING ON JP-8 FUEL THAT WILL BE SUITABLE FOR SMALL TURBOSHAFT ENGINE USE. PHASE I WILL PROVIDE VALIDATION OF THE SPRAY NOZZLE CONCEPT AND WILL PERMIT THE FUEL SYSTEM TO BE DEFINED DURING PHASE II, DURING WHICH COMBUSTOR TESTING WILL BE UNDERTAKEN.