Pulsation mechanism of a Taylor cone under a single pulse voltage

Electrospray has the advantages of high efficiency and accurate thrust, which can meet the requirements of microsatellites on micropropulsion systems, and it is a new type of microthrust system with great potential. Due to the stable characteristics of the cone jet, most of the existing research focuses on the steady electric field, while the response of the Taylor cone shape to the pulse voltage has vital application significance in the attitude control of the microthruster and the active control of the electrospray switch. Therefore, this paper focuses on the research on the response mechanism of the Taylor cone shape to a single pulse voltage. Based on experimental research, a high-speed camera is used to capture the time-series images of the Taylor cone, and a trigger connection is used to synchronously collect the atomization current under a single pulse disturbance voltage to assist in exploring the oscillation mechanism. The research shows that the pulsation of a Taylor cone under the action of a single pulse voltage has a strong coupling relationship with the conductivity and permittivity of the dielectric in the fluid, that is, the oscillation time has a strong consistency with the polarization charge relaxation time of the dielectric in the fluid.

Figure 1

Stable Taylor cone [39].

Figure 2

Schematic diagram of the change of cone shape after applying a single pulse voltage.

Figure 3

Schematic diagram of electroatomization experimental platform.

Figure 4

Schematic diagram of applying a single pulse disturbance voltage.

Figure 5

Schematic diagram of subpixel-level contour extraction.

Figure 6

Diameter oscillation diagram of experimental fluids under single pulse disturbance voltage.

Figure 7

Diagram of absolute ethyl alcohol and $n$-propanol diameter oscillation period with pulse height.

Figure 8

Diagram of absolute ethyl alcohol diameter oscillation period with pulse height.

Figure 9

Atomization current waveform of experimental fluids under single pulse disturbance voltage.

Figure 10

Diagram of the atomization current of three types of alcohol fluids changing with the pulse height.

Figure 11

Diameter oscillation diagram of absolute ethyl alcohol under different pulse heights when the pulse width is (a) 10 ms, (b) 20 ms, (c) 30 ms, (d) 40 ms, and (e) 50 ms.

Figure 12

Diameter oscillation diagram of ethylene glycol under different pulse heights when the pulse width is (a) 10 ms, (b) 20 ms, (c) 30 ms, and (d) 40 ms.

Figure 13

Diameter oscillation diagram of $n$-propanol under different pulse heights when the pulse width is (a) 10 ms, (b) 20 ms, (c) 30 ms, (d) 40 ms.

Figure 14

Diameter oscillation diagram of absolute ethyl alcohol salt solution under different pulse heights when the pulse width is (a) 10 ms, (b) 20 ms, (c) 30 ms, (d) 40 ms.

Figure 15

Diameter oscillation diagram of a $50\%$ ethanol aqueous solution under different pulse widths and heights.

Figure 16

Atomization current waveform of absolute ethyl alcohol under different pulse heights when the pulse width is (a) 10 ms, (b) 20 ms, (c) 30 ms, (d) 40 ms, and (e) 50 ms.

Figure 17

Atomization current waveform of ethylene glycol under different pulse heights when the pulse width is (a) 10 ms, (b) 20 ms, (c) 30 ms, and (d) 40 ms.

Figure 18

Atomization current waveform of $n$-propanol under different pulse heights when the pulse width is (a) 10 ms, (b) 20 ms, (c) 30 ms, (d) 40 ms.

Figure 19

Atomization current waveform of an absolute ethyl alcohol salt solution under different pulse heights when the pulse width is (a) 10 ms, (b) 20 ms, (c) 30 ms, (d) 40 ms.

Figure 20

Atomization current waveform of a $50\%$ ethanol aqueous solution under different pulse widths and heights.