Operating Characteristics of Some Compressed-Air Nebulizers

Abstract

The outputs and mass median droplet diameters of useful aerosols and the effect of solvent evaporation on the concentration of nebulizer solutions have been measured for four nebulizers of designs which have been employed for inhalation studies. Outputs ranging from 2.3 to 30.4 microliters of solution per liter of jet air were observed, with corresponding mass median droplet diameters of 1.4 to 5.4 microns. For jet pressure drops of 2.5 to 30 psi, from 7 to 10 microliters of solvent (water), in excess of that associated with the aerosol, was carried away per liter of jet air. The effects of baffling and of augmenting the jet air with additional flow through a vent were also determined.