Characterization of cavitation under ultrasonic horn tip : proposition of an acoustic cavitation parameter

Kozmus, Gregor (author), Zevnik, Jure (author), Hočevar, Marko (author), Dular, Matevž (author), Petkovšek, Martin (author)

Acoustic cavitation, generated by a piezo-driven transducer, is a commonly used technique in a variety of processes, from homogenization, emulsification, and intensification of chemical reactions to surface cleaning and wastewater treatment. An ultrasonic horn, the most commonly used acoustic cavitation device, creates unique cavitation conditions under the horn tip that depend on various parameters such as the tip diameter, the driving frequency of the horn, its amplitude, and fluid properties. Unlike for hydrodynamic cavitation, the scaling laws for acoustic cavitation are poorly understood. Empirical relationships between cavitation dynamics, ultrasonic horn operating conditions, and fluid properties were found through systematic characterization of cavitation under the tip. Experiments were conducted in distilled water with various sodium chloride salt concentrations under different horn amplitudes, tip geometries, and ambient pressures. Cavitation characteristics were monitored by high-speed (200,000 fps) imaging, and numerous relations were found between operating conditions and cavitation dynamics. The compared results are discussed along with a proposal of a novel acoustic cavitation parameter and its relationship to the size of the cavitation cloud under the horn tip. Similar to the classical hydrodynamic cavitation number, the authors propose for the first time an acoustic cavitation parameter based on experimental results.

• Language: English
• Keywords: acoustic cavitation, cavitation number, ultrasonic horn, salt solutions
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 10 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 89, art. 106159
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-140393
• UDC: 532.528
• ISSN on article: 1350-4177
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2022.106159
• COBISS.SI-ID: 121319171
• Publication date in RUL: 14.09.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Ultrasonics sonochemistry
• Shortened title: Ultrason. sonochem.
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 1350-4177
• COBISS.SI-ID: 707668

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: akustična kavitacija, kavitacijsko število, ultrazvočna konica, solne raztopine