Ultrasound-Driven Fluid Motion - Modelling Approach

Authors

  • D Rubinetti
  • D Weiss

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21152/1750-9548.12.1.1

Abstract

Fluid motion induced by ultrasound is an effect that arises from the attenuation of sound waves in a fluid. This phenomenon allows for a series of applications in industry. To achieve a significant effect in practice, high-intensity acoustics is required, which can solely be realized using the characteristics of ultrasound. Its high-frequency behaviour on one side is confronted with the nearly steady-state nature of the fluid flow on the other side.

The present study proposes a numerical modelling approach to further investigate and identify development potential. The coupling of acoustics and fluid flow poses a challenging multiphysics problem, its treatment requires an appropriate handling of transient quantities on the different frequency scales. Basically the force triggering a low frequency fluid flow arises based on the time average of quantities varying on a high frequency scale.

The analysis includes an estimation of acting terms by dimensionless relations as well as a verification by means of a simplified test-case. The concept presented is numerically stable and appropiate. It can be adapted to related applications involving sound-driven fluid motion.

References

Abramov, O.A. (1998): High-Intensity Ultrasonics Theory and Industrial Applications. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers.

Kamakura, T. et al. (1995): Acoustic streaming induces in focused Gaussian beams. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 95, 2740-2746.

Rubinetti, D. et al. (2016): Numerical Modeling and Validation Concept for Acoustic Streaming Induced by Ultrasonic Treatment, COMSOL Conference 2016, Munich, 12-14 October.

Lighthill, J. (1978): Acoustic Streaming. Journal of Sound and Vibration 61, 391-418. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-460x(78)90388-7

Weiss, D. A. (2016): Notes on Acoustic Streaming. University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Northwestern Switzerland.

Zarembo, L.K. (1968): Intense Ultrasonic Fields. Nauka.

Muller, P. et al. (2012): A numerical study of microparticle acoustophorensis driven by acoustic radiation forces and streaming-induced drag-force. Lap Chip, The Royal Society of Chemistry 12, 4617-4627. https://doi.org/10.1039/c2lc40612h

COMSOL, Acoustic Streaming in a Microchannel Cross Section, 2016, link (Accesed on 25/05/2017).

Gallego, J. et al. (2015): Power Ultrasonics Applications of High Intensity Ultrasound. Woodhead Publishing.

Rossing, T.D. (2014): Springer handbook of acoustics. Springer.

Published

2018-03-31

How to Cite

Rubinetti, D. and Weiss, D. (2018) “Ultrasound-Driven Fluid Motion - Modelling Approach”, The International Journal of Multiphysics, 12(1), pp. 1-8. doi: 10.21152/1750-9548.12.1.1.

Issue

Section

Articles