A fog slowly spreading along the bottom of the bowl, located directly on the table, smoothly flowing beyond its borders and dissolving outside it as an unknown and magical substance, would surely surprise many. Similar effects are created in Hollywood films to convey a mysterious and enchanting atmosphere or to glow the atmosphere. This seems impossible, and therefore fantastic and mysterious.
Few people know that such special effects can be easily reproduced in an ordinary city apartment, you just need to use a fog generator that can easily fit on the table and will not only create a fabulous atmosphere, but also “improve” the room. But the scope of this device is much wider than air conditioning or the creation of special effects.
Fog generators
Fog generators are devices that can generate and spray aerosols - dispersed substances, usually consisting of fine particles suspended in air or a dispersed phase. Similar systems have found application in many sectors of human activity:
- In medicine - treatment of premises in order to destroy pathogenic bacteria, viruses and pathogens.
- Agriculture - the fog generator sprays insecticides - deadly poisons for parasites, insects - this is how decontamination of livestock rooms and destruction of bugs, cockroaches, rodents is carried out.
- Fire fighting - aerosols formed block the flow of air to the source of ignition and quickly localize the fire.
- Air conditioning - in a dispersed state, aromatic oils remain in the air longer and do not settle, which at the same time creates a pleasant aroma and moisturizes the atmosphere.
- Cinema - creating smoke after shooting, simulating “walking in the clouds”, as well as increasing the expressiveness of lighting effects.
It is hard to believe that the fog generator, having an identical functioning scheme, is capable of performing such a wide range of various operations. Of course, industrial and household devices have a number of differences, but they are based on the same principle.
Mechanical and thermomechanical generators
All fog generators can be divided into two main types - mechanical and thermomechanical. The first type of devices was most widely used in human practice, since they have a simpler design and are characterized by low cost and efficiency. The cold fog generator sprays aerosols only through mechanical action.
In thermomechanical installations, the dispersed phase formed mechanically enters the heating element or into the combustion chamber, where it evaporates and enters the environment through a nozzle in the form of steam. The advantages of thermomechanical generators include universality (they can create condensation and mechanical aerosols), as well as more dense filling of an enclosed space with an aerosol.
The principle of operation of mechanical devices
A mechanical mist generator creates dispersed aerosols. He, in turn, is of several subspecies:
- Pneumatic. The aerosol forming composition is sprayed in the surrounding space with a gas stream. Gas comes under high pressure and literally breaks the composition into small components - drops. The size of the droplets, and therefore the degree of atomization, is controlled by a change in the speed of the jet.
- Ultrasonic. In the design of such devices there is an element that vibrates in the ultra-range. As a rule, this is a piezoelectric plate, or a ceramic disk. The element, vibrating with high frequency, “breaks” and sprays the composition.
- Disk. In such devices, aerosol-forming mixture enters the rapidly rotating disks, which is sprayed in the environment under the action of centrifugal acceleration.
A mechanical device is also referred to as a cold fog generator. This is due to the fact that the resulting dispersed phase has the same ambient air temperature. Heating elements are not involved in this process.
The use of fog generators in everyday life
To create a special atmosphere in the house, to improve the atmosphere in the premises, only mechanical devices are used. As a rule, these are ultrasonic generators in which the role of the vibrating element is performed by one or more round-shaped membranes. The quantity and diameter of the membranes determines the intensity of spraying water.
To maintain the performance of such equipment, it is necessary to regularly clean and replace the membranes. Piezoelectric plates may also be included in a fog generator device for home use. In this case, the service life of the device can be considered infinite. Such devices operate from a 220V power supply.
Fog generator on guard of your home
The introduction of fog generators into the smoke and smoke alarm systems is an innovative solution that has repeatedly proved its worth. The operation of this design is based on the interaction of penetration-tracking devices and aerosol sprays.
In the event of unauthorized entry, the indicators give a signal to the control device, which issues an order and starts spraying the aerosol-forming mixture with a fog generator. User reviews show that upon encountering a barrier in the form of smoke, the offender prefers to retreat rather than continue his onslaught.
The cost of fog generators
To say something specific about the cost of household devices that generate fog will not work. Their price depends on many indicators. One of the determining factors is the principle of operation, spraying intensity, power and the country of origin.
Additional equipment, for example, LED backlighting or floating raft, which allows you to use a fog generator in a small pond, also has a slight effect. The price of devices, including such modifications, begins to grow from 2,000 rubles.
Further, the cost begins to grow in proportion to the technical characteristics: the higher the power and the more membranes, the more expensive the device will be. So, for a generator with 12 ceramic disks and a power of 300 watts, you will have to pay about 23 thousand rubles. Advice that you can give customers - buy goods only in trusted stores.