A high-temperature acoustic field measurement and analysis system for determining cavitation intensity in ultrasonically solidified metallic alloys

A high-temperature acoustic field measurement and analysis system (HTAFS) was self-designed and developed to achieve real-time acoustic field analysis and quantitative cavitation characterization within high-temperature liquids. The acoustic signal was acquired by a high-temperature resistant waveguide and calibrated by separate compensation of line and continuous spectra to eliminate frequency offsets. Moreover, a new method was proposed to derive from the continuous-spectrum sound intensity and line-spectrum sound intensity in the frequency band above 1.5 times the fundamental frequency to characterize the intensity of transient cavitation and stable cavitation. The acoustic field characteristics within solidifying liquid Al-7 %Si alloy were successfully determined by this system. With the increase of ultrasound amplitude, the acoustic pressure in the alloy melt increased to be stable, the transient cavitation intensity first rose and then declined, and the stable cavitation intensity remained unchanged. Combined with the structural evolution of the primary α(Al) phase, the transient cavitation intensity was determined to be the dominant factor for the ultrasound-induced grain refinement effect.     

Hybrid hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) technique for the treatment and disinfection of lake water

Water reclamation from lakes needs to be accomplished efficiently and affordably to ensure the availability of clean, disinfected water for society. Previous treatment techniques, such as coagulation, adsorption, photolysis, ultraviolet light, and ozonation, are not economically feasible on a large scale. This study investigated the effectiveness of standalone HC and hybrid HC + H₂O₂ treatment techniques for treating lake water. The effect of pH (3 to 9), inlet pressure (4 to 6 bar), and H₂O₂ loading (1 to 5 g/L) were examined. At pH = 3, inlet pressure of 5 bar and H₂O₂ loadings of 3 g/L, maximum COD and BOD removal were achieved·H₂O₂ was observed to significantly improve the performance of the HC when used as a chemical oxidant. In an optimal operating condition, a COD removal of 54.5 % and a BOD removal of 51.5 % using HC alone for 1 h is observed. HC combined with H₂O₂ removed 64 % of both COD and BOD. The hybrid HC + H₂O₂ treatment technique resulted in a nearly 100% removal of pathogens. The results of this study indicate that the HC-based technique is an effective method for removing contaminants and disinfection of the lake water.     

Review of the design of power ultrasonic generator for piezoelectric transducer

The power ultrasonic generator (PUG) is the core device of power ultrasonic technology (PUT), and its performance determines the application of this technology in biomedicine, semiconductor, aerospace, and other fields. With the high demand for sensitive and accurate dynamic response in power ultrasonic applications, the design of PUG has become a hot topic in academic and industry. However, the previous reviews cannot be used as a universal technical manual for industrial applications. There are many technical difficulties in establishing a mature production system, which hinder the large-scale application of PUG for piezoelectric transducers. To enhance the performance of the dynamic matching and power control of PUG, the studies in various PUT applications have been reviewed in this article. Initially, the demand design covering the piezoelectric transducer application and parameter requirements for ultrasonic and electrical signals is overall summarized, and these parameter requirements have been recommended as the technical indicators of developing the new PUG. Then the factors affecting the power conversion circuit design are analyzed systematically to realize the foundational performance improvement of PUG. Furthermore, advantages and limitations of key control technologies have been summarized to provide some different ideas on how to realize automatic resonance tracking and adaptive power adjustment, and to optimize the power control and dynamic matching control. Finally, several research directions of PUG in the future have been prospected.     

Understanding the ultrasound field of high viscosity mixtures: Experimental and numerical investigation of a lab scale batch reactor

In this work, mixtures of increasing viscosity (from 0.9 to ≈720 mPas) are sonicated directly using an ultrasonic horn at 30 kHz to investigate the effect of viscosity on the ultrasound field both from an experimental and numerical point of view. The viscosity of the mixtures is modified by preparing water-polyethylene glycol solutions. The impact of the higher viscosity on the acoustic pressure distribution is studied qualitatively and semi-quantitatively using sonochemiluminescence. The velocity of light scattering particles added in the mixtures is also explored to quantify acoustic streaming effects using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). A numerical model is developed that is able to predict cavitationally active zones accounting for both thermoviscous and cavitation based attenuation. The results show that two cavitation zones exist: one directly under the horn tip and one around the part of the horn body that is immersed in the liquid. The erosion patterns on aluminum foil confirm the existence of both zones. The intensity of the cavitationally active zones decreases considerably with increasing viscosity of the solutions. A similar reduction trend is observed for the velocity of the particles contained in the jet directly under the tip of the horn. Less erratic flow patterns relate to the high viscosity mixtures tested. Finally, two numerical models were made combining different boundary conditions related to the ultrasonic horn. Only the model that includes the radial horn movements is able to qualitatively predict well the location of the cavitation zones and the decrease of the zones intensity, for the highest viscosities studied. The current findings should be taken into consideration in the design and modelling phase of horn based sonochemical reactors.     

Flavonoids in Lemon and Grapefruit IntegroPectin**

Following the analysis of terpenes present in new lemon and grapefruit “IntegroPectin” pectins obtained via the hydrodynamic cavitation of industrial lemon and grapefruit processing waste, the HPLC-MS analysis of flavonoid and other phenolic compounds reveals the presence of eriocitrin, naringin, hesperidin and kaempferol typical of the respective citrus fruits. The pectic fibers rich in rhamnogalacturonan-I regions act as chemical sponges adsorbing and concentrating at their outer surface highly bioactive citrus flavonoids and terpenes. These findings, together with the unique molecular structure of these new whole citrus pectins, provide preliminary insight into the broad-scope biological activity of these new biomaterials. Numerous new biomedical applications are anticipated, including likely use in the prevention and treatment of microbial infections and neurodegenerative disease.     

Ultrasonic-Assisted Aqueous Two-Phase Extraction and Properties of Water-Soluble Polysaccharides from Malus hupehensis

Malus hupehensis (M. hupehensis), an edible and medicinal plant with significant antioxidant and hypoglycemic activity, has been applied to new resource foods. However, the structural characterization and biological effects of its polysaccharides (MHP) are less known. The optimum extraction parameters to achieve the highest extraction efficiency (47.63%), the yield (1.68%) and purity of MHP (89.6%) by ultrasonic-assisted aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) were obtained under the liquid-to-solid ratio of 23 g/mL, ultrasonic power of 65 W, and ultrasonic time of 33 min. According to the analysis results, MHP was composed of Man, GlcA, Rha, GalA, Glc, Gal, Xyl, Ara, and Fuc, in which Ara and Gal were the main components, and the content of GlcA was the lowest. In in vitro activity analysis, MHP showed a significant antioxidant capacity, and an inhibition activity of α-glucosidase and the advanced glycation end products (AGEs) formation in the BSA/Glc reaction model. MHP interacted with α-glucosidase and changed the internal microenvironment of the enzyme, and inhibited the AGEs formation, which provides more evidence for the antihyperglycemic mechanism of MHP. The results suggest that ATPS is an efficient and environmentally friendly solvent system, and M. hupehensis has broad application prospects in functional foods, healthcare products, and pharmaceuticals.     

行波型超声电机定子摩擦材料的研制及其摩擦磨损性能研究

针对超声电机的工作特性,以环氧树脂为基体,石墨、三氧化二铝和聚四氟乙烯等为填料,采用粘涂法研制出行波型超声电机定子用摩擦材料,与同种转子摩擦材料进行了对比试验研究.结果表明:所研制的定子摩擦材料在Φ60超声电机中具有良好的机械特性,工作频率明显变宽,半峰宽提高2倍左右,可以提高电机的工作稳定性;随着预压力增加,定子摩擦材料在超声振动条件下的摩擦系数降幅变小,其磨损机制主要为粘着磨损和疲劳磨损.     

Effects of vapour pressure on the motion of cavitation bubble

Two models of bubble dynamics with constant vapour pressure and vapour content were newly developed. The mass flux of water vapour at bubble wall was simplified to facilitate the analysis. Based on these two models and the approximation of the mass flux, more simplified equations corresponding to the models were deduced from dynamic equation of bubble corrected by Sochard et al. MATLAB and the Runge–Kutta algorithm were applied to calculate and analyse the dynamical behaviour of cavitation bubbles under an ultrasonic field. Numerical results reveal that bubbles under the constant vapour pressure model exhibit larger amplitudes and move more violently to generate acoustic cavitation effect than the constant vapour content model. Nevertheless, the kinetic characteristics of bubbles under the constant vapour content model are similar to those of bubbles without water vapour. Moreover, vapour content exerts certain influence on the maximum radius, minimum radius and collapse intensity of bubbles.     

超声提取/气相色谱-质谱法测定红树林沉积物中蒲公英萜醇

建立了超声提取/气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)联用法检测红树林沉积物中蒲公英萜醇的方法,对仪器测试、提取、皂化、衍生化、数据处理等多个参数进行了优化,保证了方法的有效性和实用性。选用HP-5MS毛细色谱柱快速分离测定红树林沉积物中的蒲公英萜醇,根据标准物质的保留时间、主要特征离子及其相对丰度和平均质谱图定性;在选择离子监测(SIM)模式下,根据蒲公英萜醇和内标衍生物定量离子的峰面积比值,以内标标准曲线法定量。实验结果表明,在5~100μg/L范围内,衍生物定量离子峰面积比值与蒲公英萜醇浓度呈良好的线性关系,相关系数为0.999,方法的定量下限为0.5μg/kg。当加标水平为5~80μg/L时,回收率为81.2%~108.3%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为1.9%~4.2%。本方法具有良好的选择性、灵敏度,适用于红树林沉积物中蒲公英萜醇的测定,并成功应用于实际样品的分析,可为红树林海岸带的保护和管理提供技术支持。     

氧化锰纳米管及其超级铝热剂:制备及对环三亚甲基三硝胺热分解的影响

采用水热法制备了MnO2纳米管,以其与纳米铝粉为原料,采用超声分散复合的方法,制备了超级铝热剂Al/MnO2。利用粉末X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)及能量散射光谱仪(EDS)对产物的物相、组成、形貌和结构进行分析表征,并运用差示扫描量热法(DSC)研究了MnO2纳米管及其超级铝热剂对环三亚甲基三硝胺热分解特性的影响。结果表明,水热法制备的纳米MnO2呈管状均匀分布,球形纳米Al与管状纳米MnO2相互依附,分散较均匀;MnO2纳米管及其超级铝热剂的加入均改变了环三亚甲基三硝胺的热分解行为及分解历程,使原有占主导的液相分解变为二次的气相反应加剧,使环三亚甲基三硝胺主分解峰形发生了明显的改变。