How do spray bottles work?
How a spray bottle works is a simple yet effective mechanism involving a combination of pressure and nozzle. Press spray bottles are mainly made by Bernoulli’s principle.
Bernoulli’s principle
Bernoulli’s principle says that in the same fluid, the greater the flow rate, the lower the pressure; the smaller the flow rate, the greater the pressure. Fluid will automatically flow from high pressure to low pressure. When passing through the trifurcated tube, the low-speed flowing water flows to the high-speed flowing air. The water is torn into small droplets by the high-speed air (imagine the water flowing out of the faucet, it is slow at first and is a water column; but then the speed gradually increases and becomes a droplet). These small water droplets become mist after being sprayed out.
Spray pump structure
Now that we know how the spray works, let’s take a look at the parts of the spray to gain a deeper understanding of how the spray bottle works.
Commonly used spray pumps are mainly composed of a head, a nozzle, a piston, an upper valve, a connecting cover, a pump body, a bottle cap, a lower valve, a spring, and a straw.
The nozzle determines the spray effect. It usually consists of a small opening or series of openings through which liquid is released.
How do spray bottles work
When using a spray bottle, you create pressure by pressing on the pump. When you press the pump, the air inside the bottle is compressed. As the pressure builds, it forces the liquid inside the bottle (cleaning solution, water, perfume, etc.) to flow through a tube or straw connected to the nozzle. As the liquid passes through the nozzle, the velocity increases causing the pressure to drop. The lower pressure in the nozzle compared to the pressure in the bottle causes the liquid to be drawn into the air stream, breaking it up into small droplets. The liquid is released from the nozzle in the form of a fine mist or spray. The finer the mist, the more efficient the spray bottle is at covering a larger surface area.