DEVICE FOR AEROSOL GENERATION AND USE OF A DEVICE FOR AEROSOL GENERATION

Abstract

The invention relates to devices for aerosol generation comprising a container holding a liquid, an aerosol generator having a supply container holding the liquid, and an apparatus for conditioning the aerosol of the aerosol generator, said apparatus having a collection container for liquid and an outlet for the aerosol, in a series connection, wherein the aerosol generator is connected to a pressurized gas generator. The invention also relates to uses of such devices. Said devices and uses are characterized in particular by interruption-free operation. For this purpose, the collection container is connected to the aerosol generator via a first non-return valve in the passage direction and via a first jet pump, wherein the opening pressure of the first non-return valve is smaller than the pressure that can be achieved by the first jet pump. Furthermore, the container is connected to the aerosol generator via a second non-return valve in the passage direction and via a second jet pump, wherein the opening pressure of the second non-return valve is greater than the pressure difference between the supply container of the aerosol generator and the surroundings of the device for aerosol generation and smaller than the pressure that can be achieved by the second jet pump.

Claims

1. A device for aerosol generation, comprising a container holding a liquid, an aerosol generator with a supply container holding the liquid, and an apparatus for conditioning with a collection container for receiving the particles of the aerosol of the aerosol generator separated as liquid, and an outlet of the aerosol, in a series connection, wherein the aerosol generator is connected to a pressurized gas generator, wherein the collection container is connected to the aerosol generator via a first non-return valve in the passage direction and a first jet pump, and wherein the container is connected to the aerosol generator via a second non-return valve in the passage direction and a second jet pump, wherein the second non-return valve is designed in such a way that its opening pressure is greater than the pressure difference between the supply container of the aerosol generator and the surroundings of the device for aerosol generation and smaller than the pressure that can be achieved by the second jet pump.

2. The device for aerosol generation according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol generator has a self-priming two-component nozzle.

3. The device for aerosol generation according to claim 1, wherein the self-priming two-component nozzle is arranged in a chamber, and in that the supply container is a component of the chamber, such that droplets that occur in the process of generating the aerosol which are too large are separated out, and the liquid obtained in the process returns to the supply container by gravity.

4. The device for aerosol generation according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus for conditioning the aerosol has a separator for selecting the size of particles from the aerosol stream generated by the aerosol generator.

5. The device for aerosol generation according to claim 4, wherein the apparatus for conditioning the aerosol, with the separator, is connected via the first non-return valve and the first jet pump to the aerosol generator, such that the separator does not provide long-term storage for the separated particles.

6. The device for aerosol generation according to claim 5, wherein the separator is a cyclone separator or a coalescent fiber separator.

7. The device for aerosol generation according to claim 1, wherein the separator and the collection container are the components of a further chamber, such that the particles separated as liquid pass into the collection container by gravity.

8. The device for aerosol generation according to claim 1, wherein the first jet pump is a first injector pump, and the second jet pump is a second injector pump.

9. The device for aerosol generation according to claim 1, wherein an actuating device of an apparatus for operating the aerosol generator, an actuating device of an apparatus for operating the first jet pump and an actuating device of an apparatus for operating the second jet pump are connected to a control device.

10. The device for aerosol generation according to claim 1, wherein the supply container, the collection container and/or the container has a fill level sensor or fill level sensors, and in that the fill level sensor or the fill level sensors is or are connected to a control device.

11. The device for aerosol generation according to claim 9, wherein the actuating device of the apparatus for operating the aerosol generator, the actuating device of the apparatus for operating the first jet pump, the actuating device of the apparatus for operating the second jet pump and the fill level sensor or the fill level sensors are connected to a control device.

12. (canceled)

13. The device for aerosol generation according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus for conditioning the aerosol has a separator for selecting the size particles from the aerosol stream generated by the aerosol generator.

14. The device for aerosol generation according to claim 6, wherein the separator and the collection container are the components of a further chamber, such that the particles separated as liquid pass into the collection container by gravity.

15. The device for aerosol generation according to claim 2, wherein the first jet pump is a first injector pump, and the second jet pump is a second injector pump.

16. A method for aerosol generation without interruption, said method comprising using a device comprising a container holding a liquid, an aerosol generator with a supply container holding the liquid, and an apparatus for conditioning with a collection container for receiving the particles of the aerosol of the aerosol generator separated as liquid, and an outlet of the aerosol, in a series connection, wherein the aerosol generator is connected to a pressurized gas generator, wherein the collection container is connected tot he aerosol generator via a first non-return valve in the passage direction and a first jet pump, and wherein the container is connected to the aerosol generator via a second non-return valve in the passage direction and a second jet pump, wherein the opening pressure of the second non-return valve is greater than the pressure differenced between the supply container of the aerosol generator and the surroundings of the device for aerosol generation and smaller tham the pressure that can be achieved by the second jet pump.

Description

[0036] In the drawings: P FIG. 1 shows a device for aerosol generation.

[0037] A device for aerosol generation is substantially made up of a container 15 holding a liquid, an aerosol generator 1 with a supply container 3 holding the liquid, an apparatus 6 for conditioning the aerosol of the aerosol generator 1 with a collection container 7 of liquid and an outlet of the aerosol, a first non-return valve 12, a first jet pump 10, a second jet pump 13, and a second non-return valve 14.

[0038] The aerosol generator 1 used for spraying the slightly volatile liquid by means of pressurized gas has a self-priming two-component nozzle 4 which is connected via a hose to the liquid of the supply container 3, as a further component of the aerosol generator 1. For spraying liquid, the two-component nozzle 4 is connected to a first device 2 for the pressurized gas supply.

[0039] The aerosol generator 1 is connected via an aerosol-carrying connection 5 to the apparatus 6 for conditioning the aerosol, which is provided at the outlet 9 of the apparatus 6 for conditioning. This apparatus has a size-selective separator 8 of particles from the aerosol stream generated by the aerosol generator 1. For example, the separator 8 can be a cyclone separator 8 or a coalescent fiber separator 8. A further component of the apparatus 6 for conditioning is the collection container 7 for holding the particles separated as a liquid. The collection container 7 (at the lowest point thereof, in this case) and the supply container 3 of the aerosol generator 1 are connected to one another via a fluid-conducting connection, in which are arranged, as seen proceeding from the collection container 7, a first non-return valve 12 in the passage direction and a first jet pump 10 in the form of a pressurized-gas-operated injector pump 10. The opening pressure of the first non-return valve 12 is less than the negative pressure achievable by the first injector pump 10. In this way, the liquid is conveyed back out of the collection container against the prevailing pressure difference to the apparatus 6 for conditioning the aerosol of the aerosol generator 1. For this purpose, the first pressurized-gas-operated injector pump 10 is connected to a second device 11 for the pressurized gas supply.

[0040] Furthermore, there is a fluid-conducting connection between the container 15 with liquid and the supply container 3. In this connection, viewed in order from the container 15, are situated a second non-return valve 14 in the passage direction and a second jet pump 13 as a pressurized-gas-operated injector pump 13. The opening pressure of the second non-return valve 14 is greater than the pressure difference between the supply container 3 of the aerosol generator 1 and the surrounding environment of the device for aerosol generation, and less than the negative pressure achievable by the second injector pump 13. If these conditions are met, liquid does not flow through the connection between the aerosol generator 1 and the container 15 into or out of the container 15, even when it is opened, for example for refilling liquid into the container 15, even if the supply of pressurized gas for the second injector pump 13 is shut off. The refilling of liquid into the supply container 3 of the aerosol generator 1 from the container 15 is thus easily possible by hand. It can thus even be filled during operation. The second pressurized-gas-operated injector pump 13 is connected to a third device 16 for supplying pressurized gas.

[0041] An actuating device of an apparatus for operating the aerosol generator 1, an actuating device of an apparatus for operating the first jet pump 10, and an actuating device of an apparatus for operating the second jet pump 13 can be connected to a control device. Furthermore, the supply container 3, the collection container 7, and/or the container 15 can have a fill level sensor 17 or fill level sensors 17 which is or are connected to a control device or the control device. FIG. 1 shows, by way of example, a fill level sensor 17 in the supply container 3.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0042] 1 aerosol generator [0043] 2 first device for the pressurized gas supply [0044] 3 supply container [0045] 4 two-component nozzle [0046] 5 aerosol-carrying connection [0047] 6 apparatus for conditioning [0048] 7 collection container [0049] 8 separator, cyclone separator, or coalescent fiber separator [0050] 9 outlet [0051] 10 first jet pump, first injector pump [0052] 11 second device for the pressurized gas supply [0053] 12 first non-return valve [0054] 13 second jet pump, second injector pump [0055] 14 second non-return valve [0056] 15 container [0057] 16 third device for the pressurized gas supply [0058] 17 fill level sensor