INFRARED

Above left is an infrared image of an operating CFV device vaporizing Decane. The device is powered by an electrical resistance heater, in this case operating at 300°C, illustrated in red.

The top orifice disk is red, indicating its high operating temperature. The one millimeter thick vaporization layer, the yellow region, is operating at the boiling temperature of the Decane fluid, approximately 189°C. The residence time of the fluid in this region of the CFV is less than one second. It is for this reason that thermally sensitive compounds, including fragrances and pharmaceuticals, can pass through the CFV without thermal decomposition. The lower layer in blue is the insulating region. Here, liquid wicks up through the device without being heated, until it passes into the vaporization layer.

Vapor emitted from the device cools rapidly, often forming an aerosol mist with a mean particle size of less than 3 microns.