Re:New paint atomizer with over 95% coating efficiency
by semi-extrinsic on Saturday March 14, 2020 @03:47AM
(#22573832)
Nope, the way it's described I'm certain this is electrohydrodynamic jetting. It's been well researched since first discovered in the 60s by G.I. Taylor (IIRC). And it's already used in inkjet systems.
From the description here, sounds like they have 600 of these droplet spray generators mounted in a conical assembly, which they rotate to keep feeding in paint via centrifugal force.
Here is a slow motion video of a system similar to one drop generator. Lots of parameters that Toyota could play with here, like geometry, field configuration, field strength, pressure etc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostatic_coating
I suspect the "electrostatic atomization" is just a consequence of the rotating cone head flinging particles of paint off its edge, which then end up pulled into the electrostatic field that is already there for the sake of electrostatic coating; i.e. that the main invention is the rotating head.