Creating round focused micro-jets from rectangular nozzles

A focused jet is an axisymmetric jet of liquid surrounded by an outer coaxial gas jet. The gas jet is typically used to compress the liquid jet in the radial direction thereby focusing it. At microscales, it is difficult to manufacture micro-scale delivery nozzles (needles) and to consistently align and axially position the liquid and the gas needles. However, it is very easy, using standard etching technologies to make precise and repeatable rectangular nozzle designs. This work will therefore explore the geometric and fluid dynamics constraints that allow one to design rectangular nozzles that produce round coaxial micro-jets of liquid and gas. Because of the small scales, the fluid dynamics of the focusing jet is unusual, and this work demonstrates that the liquid jet is best focused by shear stretching and not via gas compression. This paper shows that sheet jetting occurs when the Reynolds number of the gas is too high. Dripping occurs when the Weber number of the liquid is too low. The desired round jet occurs by balancing Weber number of the liquid jet and Reynolds number of the gas such that surface tension at the interface holds the water jet round while the acceleration of the water jet due to shear at the interface from fast-moving air causes the liquid jet cross-sectional area to decrease. The goal of this initial paper is to demonstrate that a parameter region exists where this flow behavior is possible.