Enhanced vibration performance of ultrasonic block horns

Block horns are tuned components designed to vibrate in a longitudinal mode at a low ultrasonic frequency. Reliable performance of such horns is normally associated with the amplitude of vibration, uniformity of vibration amplitude at the working surface and the avoidance of modal participation by non-tuned modes at the operating frequency. In order to maximise vibration amplitude uniformity, standard slotting configurations are included in the horn design. However, defining a slotted block geometry which guarantees sufficient tuned frequency isolation from nearby modes as well as high amplitude and amplitude uniformity, is not straightforward. This paper discusses horn configurations which satisfy these criteria and investigates the design requirements of block horns which operate as intermediate components in ultrasonic systems, where the block horn dominates the vibration behaviour of the system. The importance of mode shape characterisation is discussed and modes are classified using experimental data from 3D laser Doppler vibrometer measurements and finite element analysis. In particular, the role of additional fine slots and castellations are studied with reference to two distinct ultrasonic applications involving a similar block horn.     

Comparison of ultrasound effects in different reactors at 20 kHz

To compare the performances of three power ultrasonic devices at 20 kHz: a horn, a cup horn and a tube, the local intensity distributions of local effects of cavitation have been investigated. The sensor is an electrochemical probe, measuring the solid-liquid mass transfer rate, related to the cavitation intensity. The axial and radial profiles of mass transfer coefficients have been investigated in three devices, at various power inputs. In all these equipments very strong heterogeneities have been characterized, whether a standing wave appears or not.     

Design of a Bézier-profile horn for high displacement amplification

A new horn for high displacement amplification is developed. The profile of the horn is a cubic Bézier curve. The ultrasonic actuation of the horn exploits the first longitudinal displacement mode of the horn. A design method of the horn using an optimization scheme and finite element analyses is developed. Prototypes of the horns are manufactured by a numerical control machining process. Performances of the proposed horn have been evaluated by experiments. Experimental results of the harmonic response of the fabricated horn confirm the effectiveness of the design method. The displacement amplification of the proposed horn is 71% higher than that of the traditional catenoidal horn with the same length and end surface diameters.     

A nonrational B-spline profiled horn with high displacement amplification for ultrasonic welding

A new horn with high displacement amplification for ultrasonic welding is developed. The profile of the horn is a nonrational B-spline curve with an open uniform knot vector. The ultrasonic actuation of the horn exploits the first longitudinal displacement mode of the horn. The horn is designed by an optimization scheme and finite element analyses. Performances of the proposed horn have been evaluated by experiments. The displacement amplification of the proposed horn is 41.4% and 8.6% higher than that of the traditional catenoidal horn and a Bézier-profile horn, respectively, with the same length and end surface diameters. The developed horn has a lower displacement amplification than the nonuniform rational B-spline profiled horn but a much smoother stress distribution. The developed horn, the catenoidal horn, and the Bézier horn are fabricated and used for ultrasonic welding of lap-shear specimens. The bonding strength of the joints welded by the open uniform nonrational B-spline (OUNBS) horn is the highest among the three horns for the various welding parameters considered. The locations of the failure mode and the distribution of the voids of the specimens are investigated to explain the reason of the high bonding strength achieved by the OUNBS horn.     

Inactivation of Escherichia coli by ultrasonic irradiation

Ultrasonic inactivation of Escherichia coli XL1-Blue has been investigated by high-intensity ultrasonic waves from horn type sonicator (27.5 kHz) utilizing the "squeeze-film effect". The amplitude of the vibration face contacting the sample solution was used as an indication of the ultrasonic power intensity. The inactivation of the E. coli cells by ultrasonic irradiation shows pseudo first-order behavior. The inactivation rate constant gradually increased with increasing amplitude of the vibration face and showed rapid increase above 3 microm (p-p). In contrast, the H2O2 formation was not observed below 3 microm (p-p), indicating that the ultrasonic shock wave might be more important than indirect effect of OH radicals formed by ultrasonic cavitation in this system. The optimal thickness of the squeeze film was determined as 2 mm for the E. coli inactivation. More than 99% of E. coli cells was inactivated within 180-s sonication at the amplitude of 3 microm (p-p) and 2 mm of the thickness of the squeeze film.     

模式转换环形耦合振动超声辐射器

提出了一种新型耦合振动环形超声辐射器,辐射器由纵振换能器及变幅杆激励特定尺寸的金属圆环,使其能有效地将纵向振动转化为圆环的径向轴向耦合振动从而向环的径向、轴向辐射超声波,并且在环的中心形成聚焦声场。推导了该辐射器的等效电路,给出了等效电路法和有限元法优化设计环形超声辐射器的详细过程。研究了耦合振动环形超声辐射器的谐振特性及其辐射声场特性,根据理论计算结果加工了相应的环形超声辐射器,实验测试结果与理论计算结果符合得较好。本文提出的模式转换环形耦合超声辐射器可望在声化学等液体处理领域获得应用。      

Investigations of the barbell ultrasonic transducer operated in the full-wave vibrational mode

In this paper, the resonance frequency equation and expression of displacement amplitude magnifications of a full-wave barber ultrasonic horn are obtained. By discussing the relationships between the displacement amplitude magnifications and the geometrical dimensions, the optimized design of the horn for the largest magnification is proposed, which is helpful to improve the radiation power and the transfer efficiency of the acoustic energy of the ultrasonic oscillatory system. Based on the optimized design of the horn, we introduced a barbell ultrasonic transducer operated in the longitudinal full-wave vibrational model and obtained the resonance frequency equations. For comparison, the resonance frequencies of the full-wave barbell horn and the full-wave barbell transducer are also analyzed by finite element method (FEM). It is shown that the values obtained by theoretical analysis and FEM are in good agreement with experimental observations. We hope that the research of this paper is helpful for the use of the barbell horn and transducer in the applications such as ultrasonic liquid processing.     

性能可调的纵向振动圆锥形超声变幅杆*

提出了一种基于压电效应的性能可调纵向振动圆锥形超声变幅杆,并对其振动性能进行了研究。该变幅杆由传统的圆锥形超声变幅杆和压电陶瓷材料组合而成。论文研究了圆锥变幅杆中压电陶瓷材料的厚度、位置以及电阻抗的改变对变幅杆性能参数的影响,并进行了数值模拟仿真及实验验证。结果表明,通过改变压电陶瓷材料的厚度、位置和电阻抗值,可以实现变幅杆共振频率和位移放大系数的改变。理论计算结果与数值模拟值和实验测试值符合得很好。     

纵-扭复合振动模式指数型复合超声变幅杆的研究

本文对指数型纵－扭复合振动模式的复合超声变幅杆进行了理论及实验研究，该变幅杆由均匀截面直棒及指数型截面杆组成。文中推出了变幅杆中纵向振动及扭转振动的共振频率方程，通过发迹指数型变截面棒的截面变化规律，实现了同一变幅杆中纵向振动与扭转振动的同频共振。     

A study on ultrasonic solid horns for flexural mode

The transfer matrix method is introduced into the analysis of ultrasonic flexural solid horns. The frequency and magnification equations of a horn are derived by using the transfer matrix method. Analyzed are the characteristics of three types of circular cross-section horns: exponent, cone, and catenary. The results are partly verified experimently.     

高能超声制备碳纳米管增强AZ91D复合材料的声场模拟

建立了高能超声制备碳纳米管增强AZ91D复合材料的声场计算模型, 并采用有限元方法计算了20 kHz超声直接作用下AZ91D熔体的声场分布, 熔体声场呈辐射状分布, 距离声源越远, 声压幅值越低. 采用超声作用下单一气泡变化模型描述超声作用下AZ91D 熔体中的空化效应, 通过对Rayleigh-Plesset方程的求解, 得到了不同声压作用下气泡的变化规律, 获得了声压幅值与熔体空化效应的关系, 声压幅值越大, 气泡溃灭半径阈值越小, 熔体发生空化效应越容易. 计算了固定坩埚尺寸、不同超声探头没入熔体深度情况下的声场, 得到了超声探头最优没入深度为30 mm左右. 将声场计算结果以及AZ91D熔体中空化效应的发生规律进行综合分析, 得到了超声功率对有效空化区域的影响规律, 超声功率较大时, 有效空化区域体积随超声功率近似成线性增大. 最后, 通过甘油水溶液超声处理实验, 验证了模拟计算的准确性.     

A novel multiple blade ultrasonic cutting device

In ultrasonic devices consisting of serially coupled tuned components, components whose tuned length dimension is large compared to other dimensions, or components with profiles designed for high gain, the response of the device during operation is often characterised by modal interactions, and especially the excitation of combination resonances. The effects on ultrasonic devices are high noise levels, component failures and poor operating performance. In this paper, energy exchanges between modes are characterised to illustrate the adverse effects of combination resonances. Design solutions are proposed to eliminate these effects which concentrate on reducing the number of modes. In particular, a novel half-wavelength three-blade cutting system tuned to the first longitudinal mode has been designed by finite element modelling. An experimental investigation demonstrates that the measured response does not show evidence of modal interactions.     

High-frequency vibration analysis of thin elastic plates under heavy fluid loading by an energy finite element formulation

An energy finite element analysis (EFEA) formulation for computing the high frequency behavior of plate structures in contact with a dense fluid is presented. The heavy fluid loading effect is incorporated in the derivation of the EFEA governing differential equations and in the computation of the power transfer coefficients between plate members. The new formulation is validated through comparison of EFEA results to classical techniques such as statistical energy analysis (SEA) method and the modal decomposition method for bodies of revolution. Good correlations are observed and the advantages of the EFEA formulation are identified.     

Ultrasonic transcutaneous energy transfer using a continuous wave 650 kHz Gaussian shaded transmitter

This paper proposes ultrasonic transcutaneous energy transfer (UTET) based on a kerfless transmitter with Gaussian radial distribution of its radiating surface velocity. UTET presents an attractive alternative to electromagnetic TET, where a low power transfer density of less than 94 mW/cm² is sufficient. The UTET is operated with a continuous wave at 650 kHz and is intended to power devices implanted up to 50 mm deep. The transmitter was fabricated using a 15 mm diameter disc shape PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate) element (C-2 grade, Fujiceramics Corporation Tokyo Japan), in which one surface electrode was partitioned into six equal area electrodes (∼23 mm² each) in the shape of six concentric elements. The UTET was experimented using pig muscle tissue, and showed a peak power transfer efficiency of 39.1% at a power level of 100 mW. An efficient (91.8%) power driver for the excitation of the transmitter array, and an efficient rectifier (89%) for the implanted transducer are suggested.To obtain the pressure field shape, the Rayleigh integral has been solved numerically and the results were compared to finite element simulation results. Pressure and power transfer measurements within a test tank further confirm the effectiveness of the proposed UTET.     

使用Inventor软件的超声变幅杆模态分析

使用Inventor软件建立超声变幅杆三维实体模型,并利用软件中集成的ANSYS有限元分析模块对其进行了模态分析,得到变幅杆各阶振型和纵向振动固有频率。分析结果表明,固有频率的模态分析值与实测值接近。Inventor软件将形状设计与力学分析集为一体,方便了变幅杆的设计。     

Sonophotocatalytic inactivation of E. coli using ZnO nanofluids and its mechanism

The present study evaluated inactivation efficiency of a sonophotocatalytic process using ZnO nanofluids including ultrasonic parameters such as power density, frequency and time. The result showed that inactivation efficiency was increased by 20% when ultrasonic irradiation was combined with photocatalytic process in the presence of natural light. Comparison of inactivation efficiency in photocatalytic, ultrasonic and sonocatalytic processes using Escherichia coli as a model bacteria identified that inactivation efficiencies are shown in the following order: ultrasonic irradiation < sonocatalysis < photocatalysis < sonophotocatalysis. Furthermore, inactivation mechanism of sonophotocatalysis was proposed. Studies of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and zinc ions (Zn²⁺) release evaluation revealed that ROS play a key role in bacterial inactivation rather than Zn²⁺. Permeability of outer membrane (OM) and inner membrane (IM) of E. coli bacterial cells were studied and exhibited that sonophotocatalysis increased the permeability of OM and IM significantly. The enhanced bacterial inactivation effect in sonophotocatalytic process contributed to acoustic cavitation, sonocatalysis of ZnO and sonoporation phenomenon.     

A general modal approach for the development of optimal multi-layer stacked vibration energy harvesters

Piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters with multi-layer stacked structures have been developed. They consist of multi-layer beams, of zigzag configurations, with rigid masses attached between the beams. The rigid masses, which also serve as spacers, are attached to each layer to tune the frequencies of the harvester. Close resonance frequencies and considerable power output can be achieved in multiple modes by varying the positions of the masses. A modal approach is introduced to determine the modal performance conveniently using the mass ratio and the modal electromechanical coupling coefficient, and the required modal parameters are derived using the finite element method. Mass ratio represents the influence of modal mechanical behaviour on the power density. Since the modes with larger mass ratios cause the remaining modes to have smaller mass ratios and lower power densities, a screening process using the modal approach is developed to determine the optimal or near-optimal performance of the harvesters when altering mass positions. This procedure obviates the need for full analysis by pre-selecting the harvester configurations with close resonances and favourable values of mass ratio initially. Furthermore, the multi-layer stacked designs using the modal approach can be used to develop harvesters with different sizes with the power ranging from microwatts to milliwatts.     

Evaluation of different cavitational reactors for size reduction of DADPS

The present study deals with the size reduction based on the recrystallization (antisolvent approach using water) of 3,3′-Diamino Diphenyl Sulfone (DADPS) using different types of cavitational reactors as an alternative to the conventional process of mechanical size reduction, which is an energy intensive approach. Ultrasound was applied for fixed time specific to the reactors namely ultrasonic probes at different power dissipation levels and also ultrasonic bath. A High Speed Homogenizer was also used at varying speeds of rotation to establishing the efficacy for size reduction. The processed sample was analysed for particle size and morphology using particle size analyser and optical microscopy respectively. The final yield of recrystallization was also determined. The power density in W/L and power intensity in W/m² calculated for each equipment has been used to establish efficacy for size reduction since all devices had dissimilar configurations. Based on the studies of varying power intensity of the different US equipment, it was established that larger the power intensity and power density, smaller was the resultant final particle size after treatment for same time. Among the various ultrasonic devices used, Sonics VCX750 probe yielded the best size reduction of 85.47% when operated at 40% amplitude for 60 min for a volume of 200 ml. A High Speed Homogenizer used at 7000 rpm gave 92.35% of size reduction in 15 min operation and also demonstrated the best energy efficiency. The work has elucidated the comparison of different cavitational devices for size reduction for the first time and presented the best reactors and conditions for the desired size reduction.     

Matching a transducer to water at cavitation: acoustic horn design principles

High-power ultrasound for several decades has been an integral part of many industrial processes conducted in aqueous solutions. Maximizing the transfer efficiency of the acoustic energy between electromechanical transducers and water at cavitation is crucial when designing industrial ultrasonic reactors with large active volumes. This can be achieved by matching the acoustic impedances of transducers to water at cavitation using appropriately designed ultrasonic horns. In the present work, a set of criteria characterizing the matching capabilities of ultrasonic horns is developed. It is shown that none of the commonly used tapered-shape horns can achieve the necessary conditions. An analytical method for designing five-element acoustic horns with the desirable matching properties is introduced, and five novel types of such horns, most suitable for practical applications, are proposed. An evaluation of the horns' performance is presented in a set of experiments, demonstrating the validity of the developed theoretical methodology. Power transfer efficiency increase by almost an order of magnitude is shown to be possible with the presented horn designs, as compared to those traditionally utilized.     

用于抛物柱面空间功率合成天线的功分喇叭阵列

 提出了一种用于偏馈抛物柱面反射天线的功分喇叭。由于改善了口面上的电磁分布,该功分喇叭可以让馈源阵列的栅瓣电平抑制到－28 dB。用FEKO进行仿真发现,与传统用角锥喇叭阵列作为馈源的抛物柱面反射天线相比,使用功分喇叭直线阵列可以使空间功率合成天线的效率从68%提高到80%,同时天线的增益也能增加0.7 dB。