Contactless transport of matter in the first five resonance modes of a line-focused acoustic manipulator

The first five resonance modes for transport of matter in a line-focused acoustic levitation system are investigated. Contactless transport was achieved by varying the height between the radiating plate and the reflector. Transport and levitation of droplets in particular involve two limits of the acoustic forces. The lower limit corresponds to the minimum force required to overcome the gravitational force. The upper limit corresponds to the maximum acoustic pressure beyond which atomization of the droplet occurs. As the droplet size increases, the lower limit increases and the upper limit decreases. Therefore to have large droplets levitated, relatively flat radiation pressure amplitude during the translation is needed. In this study, using a finite element model, the Gor'kov potential was calculated for different heights between the reflector and the radiating plate. The application of the Gor'kov potential was extended to study the range of droplet sizes for which the droplets can be levitated and transported without atomization. It was found that the third resonant mode (H(3)-mode) represents the best compromise between high levitation force and smooth pattern transition, and water droplets of millimeter radius can be levitated and transported. The H(3)-mode also allows for three translation lines in parallel.     

Single-axis ultrasound levitation system with annular clamping forces

Based on the principle of acoustic levitation,a single-axis ultrasonic levitation system(SAULS) with convex sides was designed.A normal SAULS only provides a levitation force(LF) against the gravity of the sample.While,such systems also provide an annular clamping force(ACF) surrounding the levitated samples,and improve levitation stability of samples in the standing wave field.Using the finite-difference time-domain method,we investigated the force distributions in different resonance cavities and the factors that influence the magnitude of the levitation force in optimizing the SAULS and the ACF.The theoretical analyses and experimental results indicate that the stability of levitation in this special SAULS is improved with the ACF from its designed convex-side feature.It can be developed into a simple device in levitating and moving samples steadily in related experiments and applications.     

基于LabVIEW的声波谐振管实验研究

为了更高效地测量声波谐振管的谐振频率,本文基于LabVIEW设计了测量声波谐振管谐振频率的扫频程序,分别得到了两端闭管条件下不同管长的谐振频率,以及首端闭管与尾端闭管条件下的谐振频率.此外,还通过绘制管内驻波波形图对声压波腹发生偏离的假设进行了验证.最后,对谐振管管身小孔开闭对谐振频率的影响进行了探究,发现小孔位置越接近驻波的声压波腹,谐振频率的偏离量越大.     

Review of Progress in Acoustic Levitation

Acoustic levitation uses acoustic radiation forces to counteract gravity and suspend objects in mid-air. Although acoustic levitation was first demonstrated almost a century ago, for a long time, it was limited to objects much smaller than the acoustic wavelength levitating at fixed positions in space. Recent advances in acoustic levitation now allow not only suspending but also rotating and translating objects in three dimensions. Acoustic levitation is also no longer restricted to small objects and can now be employed to levitate objects larger than the acoustic wavelength. This article reviews the progress of acoustic levitation, focusing on the working mechanism of different types of acoustic levitation devices developed to date. We start with a brief review of the theory. Then, we review the acoustic levitation methods to suspend objects at fixed positions, followed by the techniques that allow the manipulation of objects. Finally, we present a brief summary and offer some future perspectives for acoustic levitation.     

Floating synthesis with enhanced catalytic performance via acoustic levitation processing

Acoustic levitation supplies a containerless state to eliminate natural convection and heterogeneous crystal nucleation and thus provides a highly uniform and ultra clean condition in the confined levitating area. Herein, we attempt to make full use of these advantages to fabricate well dispersed metal nanoparticles. The gold nanoparticles, synthesized in an acoustically levitated droplet, exhibited a smaller size and improved catalytic performance in 4-nitrophenol reduction were synthesized in an acoustically levitated droplet. The sound field was simulated to understand the impact of acoustic levitation on gold nanoparticle growth with the aid of crystal growth theory. Chemical reducing reactions in the acoustic levitated space trend to occur in a better dispersed state because the sound field supplies continuous vibration energy. The bubble movement and the cavitation effect accelerate the nucleation, decrease the size, and the internal flow inside levitated droplet probably inhibit the particle fusion in the growth stage. These factors lead to a reduction in particle size compared with the normal wet chemical synthetic condition. The resultant higher surface area and more numerous active catalytic sites contribute to the improvement of the catalytic performance.     

声驻波场中空化泡的动力学特性

以水为工作介质, 考虑了液体的可压缩性, 研究了驻波声场中空化泡的运动特性, 模拟了驻波场中各位置处空化泡的运动状态以及相关参数对各位置处空化泡在主Bjerknes力作用下运动方向的影响. 结果表明: 驻波声场中, 空化泡的运动状态分为三个区域, 即在声压波腹附近空化泡做稳态空化, 在偏离波腹处空化泡做瞬态空化, 在声压波节附近, 空化泡在主Bjerknes 力作用下, 一直向声压波节处移动, 显示不发生空化现象; 驻波场中声压幅值增加有利于空化的发生, 但声压幅值增加到一定上限时, 压力波腹区域将排斥空化泡, 并驱赶空化泡向压力波节移动, 不利于空化现象的发生; 当声频率小于初始空化泡的共振频率时, 声频率越高, 由于主Bjerknes 力的作用将有更多的空化泡向声压波节移动, 不利于空化的发生, 尤其是驻波场液面的高度不应是声波波长的1/4; 当声频率一定时, 空化泡初始半径越大越有利于空化现象的发生, 但当空化泡的初始半径超过声频率的共振半径时, 由于主Bjerknes力的作用将有更多的空化泡向声压波节移动, 不利于空化的发生.     

Levitating Force and Stability Analysis of Near-field Acoustic Levitation using Flexural Vibrations of the Plate

Acoustical Physics - In this study, finite element approach is used to simulate the near-field acoustic levitation phenomenon. The resonance frequency of an aluminum plate (driver) around...     

Acoustic streaming in an ultrasonic air pump with three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain analysis and comparison to the measurement

The direct finite-difference fluid simulation of acoustic streaming on a fine-meshed three-dimensional model using a graphics processing unit (GPU)-based calculation array is discussed. Airflows are induced by an acoustic traveling wave when an intense sound field is generated in a gap between a bending transducer and a reflector. The calculation results showed good agreement with measurements in a pressure distribution. Several flow vortices were observed near the boundary layer of the reflector and the transducer, which have often been observed near the boundary of acoustic tubes, but have not been observed in previous calculations for this type of ultrasonic air pump.     

Oscillation and Migration of Bubbles within Ultrasonic Field

The oscillation and migration of bubbles within an intensive ultrasonic field are important issues concerning acoustic cavitation in liquids.We establish a selection map of bubble oscillation mode related to initial bubble radius and driving sound pressure under 20 kHz ultrasound and analyze the individual-bubble migration induced by the combined effects of pressure gradient and acoustic streaming.Our results indicate that the pressure threshold of stable and transient cavitation decreases with the increasing initial bubble radius.At the pressure antinode,the Bjerknes force dominates the bubble migration, resulting in the large bubbles gathering toward antinode center,whereas small bubbles escape from antinode.By contrast,at the pressure node,the bubble migration is primarily controlled by acoustic streaming,which effectively weakens the bubble adhesion on the container walls,thereby enhancing the cavitation effect in the whole liquid.     

Suppressing shape instabilities to discover the Bjerknes force instability (L)

For sufficiently strong acoustic forcing in a standing wave field, subresonant size bubbles are predicted to be repelled from the pressure antinode. Single bubble sonoluminescence (SBSL) conditions in water do not allow the observation of this instability. This study investigates the possibility that increasing the viscosity of the host liquid can preferentially suppress shape instabilities of a bubble and allow SBSL experiments to be limited by the Bjerknes force instability.     

The use of ultrasonic standing waves to enhance optical particle sizing equipment

Fluid dynamics modelling augmented with routines to simulate acoustic forces on aerosol particles has been used to investigate the potential of combining ultrasonic standing wave fields with optical particle analysis equipment. Simulations of particle dynamics in airstreams incorporating acoustic forces predict that particles in the 1-10 microns diameter range may be effectively focused to the velocity nodes of the standing wave field. Particles move to the velocity nodes within tens of milliseconds for acoustic frequencies of 10-100 kHz and at an acoustic energy density of 100 Jm-3. Larger particles are predicted to move to the velocity antinodes within similar times; however, there is a crossover region at approximately 15-20 microns particle diameter where longer times are predicted due to the competing forces driving particles to the vibration node and antinode. With sufficient transverse flow velocities the models predict that disturbances due to acoustic streaming can be overcome and a useful degree of focusing achieved for the aerosol particles. Results from a model demonstrating sampling and acoustic focusing of 3-9 microns aerosol particles to a 200 microns wide analysis area are presented.     

In situ studies on free-standing synthesis of nanocatalysts via acoustic levitation coupled with pulsed laser irradiation

Acoustic levitation is a distinctive and versatile tool for levitating and processing free-standing single droplets and particles. Liquid droplets suspended in an acoustic standing wave provide container-free environments for understanding chemical reactions by avoiding boundary effects and solid surfaces. We attempted to use this strategy for the production of well-dispersed uniform catalytic nanomaterials in an ultraclean confined area without the addition of external reducing agents or surfactants. In this study, we report on the synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles (NPs) via acoustic levitation coupled with pulsed laser irradiation (PLI). In situ UV–Visible and Raman spectroscopic techniques were performed to monitor the formation and growth of gold and silver NPs. The PLI was used for the photoreduction of targeted metal ions present in the levitated droplets to generate metal NPs. Additionally, the cavitation effect and bubble movement accelerate the nucleation and decrease the size of NPs. The synthesized Au NPs with ∼ 5 nm size showed excellent catalytic behavior towards the conversion of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol. This study may open a new door for synthesizing various functional nanocatalysts and for achieving new chemical reactions in suspended droplets.     

The effects of distributed masses on acoustic radiation behavior of plates

The acoustic radiation behavior of a plate with a distributed mass loading is studied. A set of in vacuo normal modes or fluid-loaded undamped normal modes are used for modal analysis of the acoustic radiation from a plate in air or in water. Modal radiation efficiency, modal volume displacement, modal input energy and sound power level are computed to show the effects of size and location of the mass loading on the acoustic radiation of the plate. It is observed that the acoustic radiation behavior of a mode in both cases will have relatively larger changes if the mass loading is placed on an antinode of the mode shape or the mass loading is more concentrated. The acoustic radiation behavior of a mode and the radiated power of the plate in water have less change than those in air with the same mass loading due to the added mass of the water, especially for the first few modes.     

驻波声场中单分散细颗粒的相互作用特性

利用外加声场促进悬浮在气相中的细颗粒发生相互作用,进而引起颗粒的碰撞和凝并,使得颗粒平均粒径增大、数目浓度降低,是控制细颗粒排放的重要技术途径.为探究驻波声场中单分散细颗粒的相互作用,建立包含曳力、重力、声尾流效应的颗粒相互作用模型,采用四阶经典龙格-库塔算法和二阶隐式亚当斯插值算法对模型进行求解.将数值模拟得到的颗粒声波夹带速度和相互作用过程与相应的解析解和实验结果进行对比,验证模型的准确性.进而研究颗粒初始条件和直径对相互作用特性的影响.结果表明,初始时刻颗粒中心连线越接近声波波动方向、颗粒位置越接近波腹点,颗粒间的声尾流效应就越强,颗粒发生碰撞所需要的时间就越短.研究还发现,颗粒直径对颗粒相互作用的影响取决于初始时刻颗粒中心连线偏离声波波动方向的程度.当偏离较小时,颗粒直径越大,颗粒发生碰撞所需要的时间越短;当偏离很大时,直径较小的颗粒能够发生碰撞,而直径较大的颗粒则无法发生碰撞.     

气体物理性质对近场超声悬浮特性的影响研究

在利用近场超声悬浮技术搬运晶圆的过程中,为提高近场超声悬浮力,该文研究了气体物理性质与近场超声悬浮力之间的关系。利用声辐射压理论与流体力学理论对不同气体介质下的悬浮力进行建模与求解。搭建了可测量不同气体环境中悬浮力的实验平台。实验发现氩气环境下超声悬浮力平均值相对空气环境下提升24.8%。结合实验与理论计算分析了气体密度、比热容比、声速与动力黏度对悬浮力的影响,推断气体的比热容比为影响近场超声悬浮力的主要参数。该方法为晶圆搬运的环境适用性提供了参考价值。     

Acoustic particle manipulation in a 40 kHz quarter-wavelength standing wave with an air boundary

An implementation of a quarter-wavelength standing wave separator that exploits an air drum to achieve the pressure node is presented and characterized experimentally. The air drum configuration was implemented and tested in a set-up with a 40 kHz transducer immersed in a water tank with the quarter-wavelength gap being approximately 9 mm wide. Injection of suspensions of 5 μm and 45 μm diameter polystyrene particles at flow rates of 30 ml/h and 60 ml/h was studied and particle deflection towards the pressure node at the air drum surface was observed for a range of acoustic pressures. Computational results on single particle trajectories show good agreement with the experimental findings for the 45 μm particles, but not for the 5 μm particles. These were considered to behave as aggregates of higher effective dimension, due to their much higher number density relative to the 45 μm particles in the suspensions used. The set-up developed in this study includes a robust method for achieving a pressure node in a quarter-wavelength system and can represent the first step toward the development of an alternative separator configuration in respect to small channel MHz range operated systems for the manipulation of particles streams.     

声悬浮过程的格子Boltzmann方法研究

采用轴对称多弛豫时间格子Boltzmann(LB)方法,研究了圆柱形封闭谐振腔中圆盘形样品的声悬浮过程.模拟结果表明,(001)模式下谐振腔的共振长度L=0.499λ,在谐振腔中心引入样品后共振漂移量δL≈-0.9,这与线性声学理论计算结果基本相符.声悬浮力的LB模拟过程包含了黏滞性效应和共振漂移效应,所获得的模拟结果与理论公式计算值在量值上一致,而且其在细节上更符合实验现象.此外,LB模拟还揭示出了声悬浮过程中的声压波形畸变、声流和声辐射压等非线性声学效应.     

Acoustic radiation force analysis using finite difference time domain method

Acoustic radiation force exerted by standing waves on particles is analyzed using a finite difference time domain Lagrangian method. This method allows the acoustic radiation force to be obtained directly from the solution of nonlinear fluid equations, without any assumptions on size or geometry of the particles, boundary conditions, or acoustic field amplitude. The model converges to analytical results in the limit of small particle radii and low field amplitudes, where assumptions within the analytical models apply. Good agreement with analytical and numerical models based on solutions of linear scattering problems is observed for compressible particles, whereas some disagreement is detected when the compressibility of the particles decreases.     

用于超声悬浮场可视化的光学全息相位倍增方法研究

基于二次曝光全息干涉测量原理,采用四倍相位倍增光路对声悬浮声压场分布进行了可视化研究.拍摄了给定模式的超声悬浮场在不同超声换能器激励电流时的光学全息图并进行光学再现,由再现光波的全息干涉条纹图样得到了反映声压场分布的光波波前相位变化,并进行了对比分析.结果表明,与无相位倍增光路相比,采用四倍相位倍增光路可使同一声压场的全息干涉条纹数目大大增加,测量灵敏度明显提高,为进一步研究声悬浮场声压分布提供了一种有效方法.     

具有环形限位夹持力的单轴式超声悬浮系统

基于超声悬浮原理,通过改变单轴式超声悬浮系统的反射和发射端的几何形状,利用凸状发射、反射面在悬浮区域周围产生环形声辐射力势阱作为限位夹持力,提高悬浮样品在驻波声场中的悬浮稳定性。基于时域有限差分法,研究不同谐振腔内的声辐射力分布,以及影响声辐射力大小的因素,优化环形限位夹持力和悬浮力。理论及实验研究结果表明,具有环形限位夹持力的超声悬浮系统可以提高普通单轴式超声悬浮装置对悬浮样品的稳定性。