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Related Concept Videos

Ultrasonography01:17

Ultrasonography

Ultrasonography is an imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to visualize the body's internal structures. It is a non-invasive and safe procedure that does not involve the use of ionizing radiation, making it widely used in various medical fields. Ultrasonography is used to study heart function, blood flow in the neck or extremities, certain conditions such as gallbladder disease, and fetal growth and development.
During an ultrasonography procedure, a handheld device called a...
Shock Waves01:16

Shock Waves

While deriving the Doppler formula for the observed frequency of a sound wave, it is assumed that the speed of sound in the medium is greater than the source's speed through it. When this condition is breached, a shock wave occurs.
When the source's speed approaches the speed of sound, constructive interference between successive wavefronts emitted by the source occurs immediately behind it. Initially, scientists believed that this constructive interference would result in such high pressures...
Sound Waves: Interference00:53

Sound Waves: Interference

Sound waves can be modeled either as longitudinal waves, wherein the molecules of the medium oscillate around an equilibrium position, or as pressure waves. When two identical waves from the same source superimpose on each other, the combination of two crests or two troughs results in amplitude reinforcement known as constructive interference. If two identical waves, that are initially in phase, become out of phase because of different path lengths, the combination of crests with troughs...
Wave Parameters01:10

Wave Parameters

The simplest mechanical waves are associated with simple harmonic motion and repeat themselves for several cycles. These simple harmonic waves can be modeled using a combination of sine and cosine functions. Consider a simplified surface water wave that moves across the water's surface. Unlike complex ocean waves, in surface water waves, water moves vertically, oscillating up and down, whereas the disturbance of the wave moves horizontally through the medium. If a seagull is floating on the...
Sound Waves01:01

Sound Waves

Sound waves can be thought of as fluctuations in the pressure of a medium through which they propagate. Since the pressure also makes the medium's particles vibrate along its direction of motion, the waves can be modeled as the displacement of the medium's particles from their mean position.
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Buoyancy and Stability for Submerged and Floating Bodies01:11

Buoyancy and Stability for Submerged and Floating Bodies

In fluid mechanics, buoyancy and stability are key concepts for understanding the behavior of submerged and floating bodies. When a stationary body is fully or partially submerged in a fluid, the fluid exerts a force on the body known as the buoyant force. This force acts vertically upward through a point called the center of buoyancy, which is the center of the displaced fluid volume. According to Archimedes' principle, the magnitude of the buoyant force is equal to the weight of the fluid...

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Microparticle Manipulation by Standing Surface Acoustic Waves with Dual-frequency Excitations
06:51

Microparticle Manipulation by Standing Surface Acoustic Waves with Dual-frequency Excitations

Published on: August 21, 2018

Swimming using surface acoustic waves.

Yannyk Bourquin1, Jonathan M Cooper

  • 1Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Plos One
|February 23, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) offer efficient micropropulsion without moving parts. This method utilizes localized fluid streaming, controlled by SAW devices at the Rayleigh angle, for precise directional travel.

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Area of Science:

  • Microfluidics
  • Acoustic wave devices
  • Biomedical engineering

Background:

  • Microactuation of free-standing objects in fluids is primarily achieved using rotary propellers.
  • Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) are increasingly utilized in microfluidics for phenomena like SAW streaming.
  • SAW streaming involves convective fluid flow induced by the refraction of SAWs into fluid drops.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate the efficacy of SAWs generated by microelectronic devices for micropropulsion.
  • To investigate the optimal conditions for propulsion using localized fluid streaming.
  • To highlight the advantages of SAW-based propulsion over traditional methods.

Main Methods:

  • Generating surface acoustic waves (SAWs) using microelectronic devices.
  • Utilizing localized fluid streaming actuated by SAWs for propulsion.
  • Maintaining SAW devices at the Rayleigh angle to optimize propulsive force.

Main Results:

  • SAWs efficiently actuate free-standing objects in fluids via localized fluid streaming.
  • Propulsion force is optimized when devices are operated at the Rayleigh angle.
  • The technique enables propulsion without any mechanical moving parts.

Conclusions:

  • SAW-actuated fluid streaming presents an efficient, novel method for micropropulsion.
  • This technology offers precise control over the direction of travel due to transducer design.
  • Potential applications span military, aeronautic, and biomedical fields, offering an alternative to rotary propellers.