Effect of expansion chamber geometry on atomization and spray dispersion characters of a flashing mixture containing inerts. Part I. Numerical predictions and dual laser measurements

A cigarette alternative is designed to deliver a dose of medicinal nicotine within a timeframe comparable to that of a cigarette, and gives much of what smokers expect from a cigarette without the risks of smoking tobacco. The design concept is the same as a pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI), but is a breath actuated device (Oxette®). This work predicts the residual mass median diameter (MMD) of the spray issuing from early stage Oxette® prototypes by using an evaporation model of multi-component liquid droplets with the help of a numerical multi-component two-phase actuation model (developed by the authors) to quantify the sprays. Two different formulations with 95% and 98% mass fraction of HFA 134a, and two prototypes of cigarette alternatives with different expansion chamber volumes have been analyzed by the numerical model and compared with laser based measurements. The later designed device provides a larger expansion chamber volume to enhance the propellant evaporation, recirculation, bubble generation and growth inside the chamber, and it makes a significant improvement to produce finer sprays than the earlier design. The mass fraction of the formulation does not affect significantly on the initial MMD of the droplets near the discharge orifice. However, it influences the residual MMD at x = 100 mm from the discharge orifice, where the ratio of the predicted residual MMDs of the droplets generated by the formulations with 98% and 95% of HFA 134a is 0.73. Although the formulation with 98% of HFA 134a can generate smaller droplets, the formulation with 95% of HFA 134a produces more steady puffs with relatively low mass flow rate.

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