Flow Focusing Nozzle
Flow Focusing Nozzle - Related Videos
10:22
Nozzle Analysis: Variations in Mach Number and Pressure Along a Converging and a Converging-diverging Nozzle
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2023
Source: Shreyas Narsipur, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC A nozzle is a device that is commonly used to accelerate or decelerate flow by virtue of its varying cross-section. Nozzles are widely used in aerospace propulsion systems. In rockets, propellant that is ejected from the chamber is accelerated through a nozzle to create a reaction force that propels the system. In jet engines, a nozzle is used to transform energy from a high-pressure...
08:14
Measuring Spray Droplet Size from Agricultural Nozzles Using Laser Diffraction
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Cited by 30 •
2016
We present protocols to be used in the measurement of spray droplet size from agricultural nozzles used in both aerial and ground based agrochemical applications. These methods presented were developed to provide consistent and repeatable droplet size data both inter- and intra-laboratory, when using laser diffraction systems.
07:13
Alginate Encapsulation of Pluripotent Stem Cells Using a Co-axial Nozzle
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Cited by 14 •
2015
We established a method of encapsulating pluripotent stem cells (PS cells) into alginate hydrogel capsules using a co-axial nozzle. This prevents cells from aggregating excessively and limits the shear stress experienced by cells in suspension culture. The technique is applicable to the mass production of PS cells as well as research on stem cell niche.
08:58
Double Emulsion Generation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Co-axial Flow Focus Device
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Cited by 8 •
2015
Microfluidic double emulsions generation typically involves devices with patterned wettability or custom-fabricated glass components. Here we describe the fabrication and testing of an all polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) double emulsion generator that does not require surface treatment or complicated fabrication processes, and is capable of producing double emulsions down to 14 µm.
09:30
Focused Ion Beams
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2023
Source: Sina Shahbazmohamadi and Peiman Shahbeigi-Roodposhti-Roodposhti, School of Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT As electron microscopes become more complex and widely used in research labs, it becomes more of a necessity to introduce their capabilities. Focused ion beam (FIB) is an instrument that can be employed in order to fabricate, trim, analyze and characterize materials on mico- and nano-scales in a wide variety of fields from nano-electronics to medicine. FIB...
FAQs
At the narrow junction, the continuous phase exerts hydrodynamic stress on the dispersed phase, while interfacial tension resists deformation. Pinch-off occurs when these competing effects separate the dispersed material into discrete structures. This balance determines whether the output is formed as droplets, a jet, or an emulsion, linking fluid physics to the resulting morphology.
Changing the flow rates changes how strongly the continuous phase squeezes the dispersed phase, which can alter droplet size and formation frequency. Viscosity also affects the response of each stream to the applied stresses. Consequently, controlling both variables helps tune production behavior rather than treating the nozzle as a fixed-size generator.
Channel geometry sets the dimensions and shape of the converging region where focusing occurs. Small geometric changes can therefore modify how the streams meet and how the dispersed phase pinches off. In practice, geometry works together with flow rate, viscosity, and interfacial tension, so reproducibility depends on controlling device design as well as operating conditions.
Operation begins by bringing continuous and dispersed phases to the nozzle, where they converge at a narrow junction. The continuous stream focuses the dispersed stream, and the resulting droplets or other structures are monitored while flow rates are adjusted. Channel geometry and fluid viscosities are selected or controlled to obtain the desired size and formation frequency.
The dispersed phase can carry cells, proteins, or drugs, allowing the nozzle to create controlled microenvironments around biologically relevant cargo. Depending on the formulation and operating conditions, the process can also produce microspheres or other biomaterials. This makes the device useful when bioengineering experiments require reproducible, size-controlled compartments or particles.
Applications extend from encapsulation to platform development. Flow focusing nozzles support high-throughput assays, drug delivery systems, and tissue-engineering platforms because they generate reproducible structures with controlled dimensions. The same control is useful for studying or building engineered microenvironments, where cells, proteins, or drugs must be organized within microscale carriers or materials.