Electric effects of vibrations of capillaries filled with droplets of mercury and an electrolyte solution

The appearance of a time-dependent difference of the electric potentials due to mechanical vibrations of capillaries filled with droplets of mercury and an electrolyte solution was studied in 1–5]. The phenomenon is used in electrokinetic transducers 6, 7]. Equivalent electric and mechanical circuits of the transducers were proposed in 1–4]. The experimental dependences of the amplitude of the potential difference that arises between the mercury droplets on the vibration frequency (the amplitude-frequency characteristics of the transducers) were investigated in 2, 4]. In the present paper, expressions are obtained for the difference of the electric potentials between mercury droplets that arises in the case of harmonic vibrations of a capillary with small amplitudes. The theoretical and experimental amplitudefrequency characteristics of an electrocapillary transducer are constructed. Good agreement between the results of the calculations and the experimental data is obtained.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika-Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 2, pp. 131–136, March–April, 1988.