Y-shaped jets driven by an ultrasonic beam reflecting on a wall

Area of Science:

• Fluid Dynamics
• Acoustics
• Experimental Physics

Background:

• Acoustic streaming is a phenomenon where sound waves induce fluid motion.
• Understanding fluid flow patterns is crucial for various engineering applications, including heat and mass transfer.
• Previous studies on acoustic streaming often focused on simpler geometries, leaving complex reflection scenarios less explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally and numerically investigate the unique fluid flow patterns of acoustic streaming generated by a reflected acoustic beam.
• To analyze the resulting velocity field structure and compare it with existing models of acoustic streaming.
• To explore the potential applications of this flow phenomenon in areas like heat and mass transfer.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) for experimental measurement of the velocity field.
• Developed a numerical model simulating incompressible fluid flow with a volumetric acoustic force.
• Investigated the impact of approximations in the acoustic force field on the simulation results.

Main Results:

• Observed an original y-shaped velocity field structure comprising an impinging jet, a wall jet, and a second jet from the reflected beam.
• Numerical model results showed good agreement with experimental PIV data.
• The flow was found to interact with a large wall surface, extending into tank corners.

Conclusions:

• The y-shaped acoustic streaming pattern is a distinct phenomenon driven by reflected acoustic beams.
• The observed flow characteristics suggest potential for efficient heat and mass transfer applications.
• The study validates a numerical approach for modeling complex acoustic streaming scenarios.