Question about liquid expulsion from a spray bottle

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    Liquid Spray
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the mechanics of liquid expulsion from spray bottles, specifically comparing the effectiveness of spraying between a nearly full bottle and one with a small amount of liquid remaining. Participants explore whether the volume of liquid affects the spray action and the mechanism by which spray bottles operate.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions if the extra weight of liquid in a full spray bottle assists in the spraying process, suggesting it may influence the ease of liquid intake by the mechanism.
  • Another participant argues that the spray mechanism operates independently of the liquid amount, emphasizing that the spray is dependent on the liquid stored in the cylinder chamber rather than the bottle's contents.
  • A later reply introduces the idea that the pressure difference created by the height of the liquid may have a minimal effect on the release rate of the spray, but questions the significance of this pressure in practical terms.
  • Historical context is provided regarding older spray mechanisms, such as atomizers, which utilized different principles for liquid expulsion, suggesting variations in design may affect performance.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether the amount of liquid in the bottle affects the spraying mechanism. Some argue it does not matter, while others propose that the weight of the liquid could play a role in the intake process. The discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

There are uncertainties regarding the specific mechanics of how spray bottles function, particularly in relation to pressure differences and liquid intake processes. The discussion does not clarify the exact relationship between liquid volume and spray effectiveness.

LBrandt
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Hello,

I’m new to this forum, and this may seem elementary, but I can’t be sure of my thinking on the subject, so I’ll post the question here.

The question concerns the following. I have two household spray bottles, each of the same size. Each has its hose down nearly to the bottom of the liquid. The only difference is that one bottle is almost full, and the other bottle has only a small portion of its liquid remaining, but in both bottles, the bottom of the hose easily reaches into the liquid. The bottom of the hose is at the same point in both bottles.

Question: Will there be any difference in the ease of spraying from the two bottles? Will the bottle with only a small amount of liquid result in the spray action being less effective? I realize that once the liquid in the smaller portion container drops below the bottom of the tube, no more spray will emanate from that bottle, but in the meantime, will there be any difference in the amount or velocity of the spray from the two bottles?

In other words, does the extra weight of the liquid in the bottle with more liquid assist in the process?

Thank you,
Louis
 
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I see the point you're driving at, but perhaps you'll have to rephrase it with a different example, the example of the spraybottle is null and void as you can see here

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question673.htm

the mechanism makes it pretty much independent of the water it's in all together.
 
Thanks for your reply. I read the reference that you cited, but I didn't see that the article made any reference to the amount of liquid having any effect, so I'm still not certain of whether it would make a difference.
Louis
 
Look at the diagram, it clearly shows that the spray bottle takes in water before you spray it, and keeps it in via a one-way system, so the only water it expels is water it had previously stored. The spray is only dependent on what's inside the cylinder chamber, not the actual bottle.
 
Yes, but how does it "take the water in"? Is it a siphon process, and cannot the weight of the additional water assist in allowing it to "take the water in" more easily? I'm just asking.
Louis
 
I'm not sure how much additional pressure above ambient you get from 15 or so centimeters of fluid. The main affect would be a slightly slower release rate of the trigger.

Note that in the past, crude atomizers or sprayers like a "flit gun", simply had a open ended tube perpendicular to an air flow (the other end in the fluid). The air flow is diverted away from the open end, creating a low pressure vortice. Somce carburetors also utilize variations of open tube perpendicular to flow as well as one or two venturi stages.

Example diagrams showing end of tube protuding into inner venturi stage, although the tube itself may be angled, the opening is angle cut so that it faces away from the air flow.

http://www.secondchancegarage.com/articles/images/carbtheory/drawing2.gif

http://www.motorera.com/dictionary/pics/c/carb.gif
 
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