Formation of single charged drops in a non-uniform electric field.

Abstract

Formation of single drops in a non-uniform electric field is studied for water drops in the atmosphere and in three kinds of dielectric liquids. Theoretical equations are derived for the volume and the electric charge of the formed drop and corresponding experiments were performed in a range of applied electric potential of 0-7.5 kV. It was clarified that measured drop volumes agree well with theoretical values for systems of liquid-gas and liquid-liquid. The experimental drop charges are not satisfactorily represented by theoretical analysis, but are well evaluated by a semi-empirical equation presented here.