In the present work, a series of experiments have been performed on electro-hydrodynamic atomization of non-conducting liquid using a charge injection type nozzle. Effects of liquid flow rate, input voltage, and distance between the needle and the ground electrode (nozzle-embedded metal plate) have been examined. For fixed electrode distances, total and spray currents increase with increase of liquid flow rate and input voltage. When the distance between the needle and the ground electrode becomes closer, total, leakage and spray current increase, but the onset voltage for dielectric breakdown decreases. When the electric field strength of the liquid jet exceeds that for the air breakdown, a portion of the electric charges in the liquid jet is dissipated into the ambient air, and the charge density shows a limiting value. Atomization quality can be improved by increasing the flow rate because the higher charge density is achieved with the larger liquid velocity in addition to the enhanced aerodynamic effect.
