Demonstration of a droplet electrohydrodynamic blower in aerosols

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that a deformed water droplet under electric resonance can act as a micro-blower, significantly affecting surrounding aerosols and enhancing particle capture, with implications for aerosol control and transfer processes.

Contribution

It introduces a novel electrohydrodynamic droplet actuator that influences surrounding aerosols, revealing new mechanisms for particle capture and transfer in two-phase systems.

Findings

Droplet oscillations induce air circulations acting as a micro-blower.

Electrostatic particle capture deteriorates due to droplet-induced airflow.

Significant impact on heat and mass transfer in aerosol systems.

Abstract

Despite a rigorous analysis of nonlinear electrohydrodynamics of a liquid droplet deformation in air, its influence on the surrounding gas phase has received less attention. We observed, air circulations created due to large deformation oscillations of a pendant water droplet subject to a resonating electric field act like a micro or mini blower in the air around the droplet. This is demonstrated through the deterioration of a strong electrostatic airborne particulate capture onto the droplet, when it is placed in an aerosol. Such strong local aerodynamic influence on the surrounding aerosol particulate, heat and mass transfer in the two phase system provoke further interest in fundamental and technological research.