Oscillating bubble concentration and its size distribution using acoustic emission spectra

New method has been proposed for the estimation of size and number density distribution of oscillating bubbles in a sonochemical reactor using acoustic emission spectra measurements. Bubble size distribution has been determined using Minnaert's equation [M. Minnaert, On musical air bubbles and sound of running water, Philanthr. Mag. 16 (1933) 235], i.e., size of oscillating bubble is inversely related to the frequency of its volume oscillations. Decomposition of the pressure signal measured by the hydrophone in frequency domain of FFT spectrum and then inverse FFT reconstruction of the signal at each frequency level has been carried out to get the information about each of the bubble/cavity oscillation event. The number mean radius of the bubble size is calculated to be in the range of 50-80mum and it was not found to vary much with the spatial distribution of acoustic field strength of the ultrasound processor used in the work. However, the number density of the oscillating bubbles and the nature of the distribution were found to vary in different horizontal planes away from the driving transducer surface in the ultrasonic bath. A separate set of experiments on erosion assessment studies were carried out using a thin aluminium foil, revealing a phenomena of active region of oscillating bubbles at antinodal points of the stationary waves, identical to the information provided by the acoustic emission spectra at the same location in the ultrasonic bath.     

Optical and acoustic monitoring of bubble cloud dynamics at a tissue-fluid interface in ultrasound tissue erosion

Short, high-intensity ultrasound pulses have the ability to achieve localized, clearly demarcated erosion in soft tissue at a tissue-fluid interface. The primary mechanism for ultrasound tissue erosion is believed to be acoustic cavitation. To monitor the cavitating bubble cloud generated at a tissue-fluid interface, an optical attenuation method was used to record the intensity loss of transmitted light through bubbles. Optical attenuation was only detected when a bubble cloud was seen using high speed imaging. The light attenuation signals correlated well with a temporally changing acoustic backscatter which is an excellent indicator for tissue erosion. This correlation provides additional evidence that the cavitating bubble cloud is essential for ultrasound tissue erosion. The bubble cloud collapse cycle and bubble dissolution time were studied using the optical attenuation signals. The collapse cycle of the bubble cloud generated by a high intensity ultrasound pulse of 4-14 micros was approximately 40-300 micros depending on the acoustic parameters. The dissolution time of the residual bubbles was tens of ms long. This study of bubble dynamics may provide further insight into previous ultrasound tissue erosion results.     

超声波声孔效应中气泡动力学的研究

在超声快速制取组织细胞病理切片的过程中，发现激励信号对切片制取效果有明显的影响.为了掌握超声激励信号对组织细胞的影响规律，达到快速制取病理切片的最佳状态，从气泡空化模型入手，通过改变激励信号频率、声压、气泡初始半径和液体黏滞系数等参量，研究了声孔效应中气泡动力学激励机制.数值计算表明：空化泡振动随激励声压增强而升高，随液体黏滞系数增强而减弱；一定频率范围内空化泡振动能保持在膨胀、收缩和振荡的稳定空化状态，存在空化泡稳态振动的最佳激励频率；一定初始半径能保证空化泡产生稳定的振动，存在空化泡稳态振动幅度最大的初始半径.实际操作中，在频率、声压、初始半径和黏滞系数综合作用的若干空化阈内，声孔效应使超声快速法制取细胞组织切片获得最佳效果. 关键词： 声孔效应 超声空化 气泡振动 稳态空化域     

Sonoluminescence, sonochemistry (H2O2 yield) and bubble dynamics: frequency and power effects

In the present work, comprehensive experimental and numerical investigations on the effects of ultrasound frequency and acoustic power on sonoluminescence (SL) and H(2)O(2) yields have been carried out. The multibubble SL and H(2)O(2) yields have been examined for four frequencies (213, 355, 647 and 1056 kHz) and over a wide range of acoustic powers. The observed experimental results have been discussed with respect to single bubble dynamics and the number of active cavitation bubbles.     

Hydrodynamic cavitation for sonochemical effects

A comparative study of hydrodynamic and acoustic cavitation has been made on the basis of numerical solutions of the Rayleigh-Plesset equation. The bubble/cavity behaviour has been studied under both acoustic and hydrodynamic cavitation conditions. The effect of varying pressure fields on the collapse of the cavity (sinusoidal for acoustic and linear for hydrodynamic) and also on the latter's dynamic behaviour has been studied. The variations of parameters such as initial cavity size, intensity of the acoustic field and irradiation frequency in the case of acoustic cavitation, and initial cavity size, final recovery pressure and time for pressure recovery in the case of hydrodynamic cavitation, have been found to have significant effects on cavity/bubble dynamics. The simulations reveal that the bubble/cavity collapsing behaviour in the case of hydrodynamic cavitation is accompanied by a large number of pressure pulses of relatively smaller magnitude, compared with just one or two pulses under acoustic cavitation. It has been shown that hydrodynamic cavitation offers greater control over operating parameters and the resultant cavitation intensity. Finally, a brief summary of the experimental results on the oxidation of aqueous KI solution with a hydrodynamic cavitation set-up is given which supports the conclusion of this numerical study. The methodology presented allows one to manipulate and optimise of specific process, either physical or chemical.     

Modeling cavitation in a rapidly changing pressure field – Application to a small ultrasonic horn

Ultrasonic horn transducers are frequently used in applications of acoustic cavitation in liquids. It has been observed that if the horn tip is sufficiently small and driven at high amplitude, cavitation is very strong, and the tip can be covered entirely by the gas/vapor phase for longer time intervals. A peculiar dynamics of the attached cavity can emerge with expansion and collapse at a self-generated frequency in the subharmonic range, i.e. below the acoustic driving frequency. The term “acoustic supercavitation” was proposed for this type of cavitation Žnidarčič et al. (2014) [1].We tested several established hydrodynamic cavitation models on this problem, but none of them was able to correctly predict the flow features. As a specific characteristic of such acoustic cavitation problems lies in the rapidly changing driving pressures, we present an improved approach to cavitation modeling, which does not neglect the second derivatives in the Rayleigh–Plesset equation. Comparison with measurements of acoustic supercavitation at an ultrasonic horn of 20 kHz frequency revealed a good agreement in terms of cavity dynamics, cavity volume and emitted pressure pulsations.The newly developed cavitation model is particularly suited for simulation of cavitating flow in highly fluctuating driving pressure fields.     

Phase transitions of nanoemulsions using ultrasound: experimental observations

The ultrasound-induced transformation of perfluorocarbon liquids to gases is of interest in the area of drug and gene delivery. In this study, three independent parameters (temperature, size, and perfluorocarbon species) were selected to investigate the effects of 476-kHz and 20-kHz ultrasound on nanoemulsion phase transition. Two levels of each factor (low and high) were considered at each frequency. The acoustic intensities at gas bubble formation and at the onset of inertial cavitation were recorded and subsequently correlated with the acoustic parameters. Experimental data showed that low frequencies are more effective in forming and collapsing a bubble. Additionally, as the size of the emulsion droplet increased, the intensity required for bubble formation decreased. As expected, perfluorohexane emulsions require greater intensity to form cavitating bubbles than perfluoropentane emulsions.     

Analysis of Two-Phase Cavitating Flow with Two-Fluid Model Using Integrated Boltzmann Equations

In the present work, both computational and experimental methods are employed to study the two-phase flow occurring in a model pump sump. The two-fluid model of the two-phase flow has been applied to the simulation of the three-dimensional cavitating flow. The governing equations of the two-phase cavitating flow are derived from the kinetic theory based on the Boltzmann equation. The isotropic RNG$k-\epsilon-k_{ca}$ turbulence model of two-phase flows in the form of cavity number instead of the form of cavity phase volume fraction is developed. The RNG $k-\epsilon-k_{ca}$ turbulence model, that is the RNG$k-\epsilon$ turbulence model for the liquid phase combined with the $k_{ca}$model for the cavity phase, is employed to close the governing turbulent equations of the two-phase flow. The computation of the cavitating flow through a model pump sump has been carried out with this model in three-dimensional spaces. The calculated results have been compared with the data of the PIV experiment. Good qualitative agreement has been achieved which exhibits the reliability of the numerical simulation model.     

Investigation of cavitation noise using Eulerian-Lagrangian multiscale modeling

We have employed the large eddy simulation (LES) approach to investigate the cavitation noise characteristics of an unsteady cavitating flow around a NACA66 (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) hydrofoil by employing an Eulerian-Lagrangian based multiscale cavitation model. A volume of fluid (VOF) method simulates the large cavity, whereas a Lagrangian discrete bubble model (DBM) tracks the small bubbles. Meanwhile, noise is determined using the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings equation (FW-H). Eulerian-Lagrangian analysis has shown that, in comparison to VOF, it is more effective in revealing microscopic characteristics of unsteady cavitating flows, including microscale bubbles, that are unresolvable around the cloud cavity, and their impact on the flow field. It is also evident that its evolution of cavitation features on the hydrofoil is more consistent with the experimental observations. The frequency of the maximum sound pressure level corresponds to the frequency of the main cavity shedding for the noise characteristics. Using the Eulerian-Lagrangian method to predict the noise signal, results show that the cavitation noise, generated by discrete bubbles due to their collapse, is mainly composed of high-frequency signals. In addition, the frequency of cavitation noise induced by discrete microbubbles is around 10 kHz. A typical characteristic of cavitation noise, including two intense pulses during the collapsing of the cloud cavity, is described, as well as the mechanisms that underlie these phenomena. The findings of this work provide for a fundamental understanding of cavitation and serve as a valuable reference for the design and intensification of hydrodynamic cavitation reactors.     

On fiber optic probe hydrophone measurements in a cavitating liquid

The measurement of high-pressure signals is often hampered by cavitation activity. The usage of a fiber optic probe hydrophone possesses advantages over other hydrophones, yet when measuring in a cavitating liquid large variations in the signal amplitude are found; in particular when the pressure signal recovers back to positive values. With shadowgraphy the wave propagation and cavity dynamics are imaged and the important contributions of secondary shock waves emitted from collapsing cavitation bubbles are revealed. Interestingly, just adding a small amount of acidic acid reduces the cavitation activity to a large extent. With this treatment an altered primary pressure profile which does not force the cavitation bubbles close to fiber tip into collapse has been found. Thereby, the shot-to-shot variations are greatly reduced.     

Theoretical estimation of sonochemical yield in bubble cluster in acoustic field

In order to learn more about the physical phenomena occurring in cloud cavitation, the nonlinear dynamics of a spherical cluster of cavitation bubbles and cavitation bubbles in cluster in an acoustic field excited by a square pressure wave are numerically investigated by considering viscosity, surface tension, and the weak compressibility of the liquid.The theoretical prediction of the yield of oxidants produced inside bubbles during the strong collapse stage of cavitation bubbles is also investigated. The effects of acoustic frequency, acoustic pressure amplitude, and the number of bubbles in cluster on bubble temperature and the quantity of oxidants produced inside bubbles are analyzed. The results show that the change of acoustic frequency, acoustic pressure amplitude, and the number of bubbles in cluster have an effect not only on temperature and the quantity of oxidants inside the bubble, but also on the degradation types of pollutants, which provides a guidance in improving the sonochemical degradation of organic pollutants.     

Studies of a novel sensor for assessing the spatial distribution of cavitation activity within ultrasonic cleaning vessels

This paper describes investigations of the spatial distribution of cavitation activity generated within an ultrasonic cleaning vessel, undertaken using a novel cavitation sensor concept. The new sensor monitors high frequency acoustic emissions (>1 MHz) generated by micron-sized bubbles driven into acoustic cavitation by the applied acoustic field. Novel design features of the sensor, including its hollow, cylindrical shape, provide the sensor with spatial resolution, enabling it to associate the megahertz acoustic emissions produced by the cavitating bubbles with specific regions of space within the vessel. The performance of the new sensor has been tested using a 40 kHz ultrasonic cleaner employing four transducers and operating at a nominal electrical power of 140 W under controlled conditions. The results demonstrate the ability of the sensors to identify 'hot-spots' and 'cold-spots' in cavitation activity within the vessel, and show good qualitative agreement with an assessment of the spatial distribution of cavitation determined through erosion monitoring of thin sheets of aluminium foil. The implications of the studies for the development of reliable methods of quantifying the performance of cleaning vessels are discussed in detail.     

A two-frequency acoustic technique for bubble resonant oscillation studies

A two-frequency acoustic apparatus has been developed to study the dynamics of a single gas or vapor bubble in water. An advantage of the apparatus is its capability of trapping a bubble by an ultrasonic standing wave while independently driving it into oscillations by a second lower frequency acoustic wave. For a preliminary application, the apparatus is used to study resonant oscillations. First, near-resonant coupling between the volume and the n = 3 shape oscillation modes of air bubbles at room temperature is studied, where n is the mode number. The stability boundary, amplitude versus frequency, of the volume oscillation forms a wedge centered at the resonant frequency, which qualitatively agrees with a theoretical prediction based on a phase-space analysis. Next, the resonant volume oscillations of vapor bubbles are studied. The resonant radius of vapor bubbles at 80 degrees C driven at 1682 Hz is determined to be 0.7 mm, in agreement with a prediction obtained by numerical simulation.     

Spiraling bubbles: how acoustic and hydrodynamic forces compete

Experiments to study the effect of acoustic forces on individual bubbles in shear flows have been carried out. In the system that we have used, the competition between acoustic and fluid dynamical forces results in a spiraling bubble trajectory. This dynamics is modeled by expressing the balance between Bjerknes and hydrodynamic forces in terms of an ordinary differential equation model, to which a separation of time scales is applied. The success of this model shows that the simple force-balance approach is still meaningful when bubbles are subjected to sound fields.     

方波驱动下双气泡的动力学行为*

探索方波驱动下双气泡的脉动规律,能够促进方波在声空化工程中的实际应用。本文通过数值求解双气泡耦合方程组,研究了方波驱动下双气泡的动力学行为,得到了多种条件下不同时刻两个气泡半径的数值,并以此计算出气泡间的次Bjerknes力。研究表明,增大驱动频率会使得两个气泡膨胀时能达到的最大半径和次Bjerknes力减小。当两个气泡的平衡半径不同时,其中一个气泡的剧烈收缩会使得另一个气泡产生一个振动方向相反的声脉冲。随着两个气泡平衡半径差距的增加,气泡收缩的时间间隔增大。此外,当驱动声压幅值逐渐增大时,气泡脉动规律也会发生很大的变化。     

Spectrum control and shaping of optical pulses in optical fibre interferometers

This paper discusses the use of single-mode fibre ring interferometers for injection laser line narrowing and for enhancement of optical emission power. The efficient launching into fibre ring interferometers of multi-frequency external cavity injection laser emission, in both the c.w. and mode-locking regime, has been achieved. Matching the optical lengths of the external cavity and fibre interferometer allowed the measurement of mode width of such a laser. A method is proposed for shaping optical pulses in fibre ring interferometers from constant intensity frequency modulated emission. The mode-locking regime of all-fibre external cavity injection lasers has been achieved.     

Effects of medium viscoelasticity on bubble collapse strength of interacting polydisperse bubbles

Due to its physical and/or chemical effects, acoustic cavitation plays a crucial role in various emerging applications ranging from advanced materials to biomedicine. The cavitation bubbles usually undergo oscillatory dynamics and violent collapse within a viscoelastic medium, which are closely related to the cavitation-associated effects. However, the role of medium viscoelasticity on the cavitation dynamics has received little attention, especially for the bubble collapse strength during multi-bubble cavitation with the complex interactions between size polydisperse bubbles. In this study, modified Gilmore equations accounting for inter-bubble interactions were coupled with the Zener viscoelastic model to simulate the dynamics of multi-bubble cavitation in viscoelastic media. Results showed that the cavitation dynamics (e.g., acoustic resonant response, nonlinear oscillation behavior and bubble collapse strength) of differently-sized bubbles depend differently on the medium viscoelasticity and each bubble is affected by its neighboring bubbles to a different degree. More specifically, increasing medium viscosity drastically dampens the bubble dynamics and weakens the bubble collapse strength, while medium elasticity mainly affects the bubble resonance at which the bubble collapse strength is maximum. Differently-sized bubbles can achieve resonances and even subharmonic resonances at high driving acoustic pressures as the elasticity changes to certain values, and the resonance frequency of each bubble increases with the elasticity increasing. For the interactions between the size polydisperse bubbles, it indicated that the largest bubble generally has a dominant effect on the dynamics of smaller ones while in turn it is almost unaffected, exhibiting a pattern of destructive and constructive interactions. This study provides a valuable insight into the acoustic cavitation dynamics of multiple interacting polydisperse bubbles in viscoelastic media, which may offer a potential of controlling the medium viscoelasticity to appropriately manipulate the dynamics of multi-bubble cavitation for achieving proper cavitation effects according to the desired application.     

An improved series expansion method on the multi-frequency analysis of acoustic boundary element

For the multi-frequency acoustic analysis, a series expansion method has been introduced to reduce the computation time of the frequency-independent parts, but the Runge phenomenon will arise when this method is employed in high frequency band. Therefore, this method is improved by analyzing the application condition and proposing the selection principle of the series truncation number. The argument interval can be adjusted with the wavenumber factor. Therefore, the problem of unstable numeration and poor precision can be solved, and the application scope of this method is expanded. The numerical example of acoustic radiation shows that the improved method is correct for acoustic analysis in wider frequency band with less series truncation number and computation amount.     

分布式光纤声波振动传感系统研发及应用

针对油气田勘探开发需获取微声波信号完整波形的问题,开展了基于双脉冲外差调制与反正切外差解调方案的分布式光纤声波传感（DAS）技术研究与配套系统研发。通过特征参数室内振动模拟实验,新型DAS系统的响应频率范围20 Hz～25 kHz、最大动态范围60 dB、信噪比49 dB,满足微声波信号幅度、频率、相位等信息的探测需求。同时,该系统在新疆油田稠油热采井下蒸汽腔探测方面成功开展了现场应用,实测有效声压强度?195 dB,验证了系统的可靠性,具有良好的应用前景。     

Origin of the broad-band noise in acoustic cavitation

The broad-band noise has been experimentally used to monitor the cavitation activity in a sonochemical reactor, an ultrasonic cleaning bath, a biological tissue, etc. However, the origin of the broad-band noise is still under debate. In the present review, two models for the mechanism of the broad-band noise are discussed. One is acoustic emissions from chaotically (non-periodically) pulsating bubbles. The other is acoustic emissions from bubbles with temporal fluctuation in the number of bubbles. It is suggested that the latter mechanism is sometimes dominant. Further studies are required on the role for bubble cluster dynamics as well as the bubble–bubble interaction in the broad-band noise especially at relatively low ultrasonic frequencies.