A novel sensor for monitoring acoustic cavitation. Part I: Concept, theory, and prototype development

Simultaneous measurements of acoustic emission and sonochemical luminescence for monitoring ultrasonic cavitation

In the present study, a novel hybrid method was considered to identify and measure inertial cavitation activity using acoustic and optical emissions from violent bubble collapses. A photomultiplier (PMT) tube and a calibrated cylindrical needle hydrophone were used to simultaneously detect sonochemical luminescence (SCL) signals and acoustic emissions, respectively, during sonication. A cylindrical focusing ultrasound transducer operating at 398.4 kHz was employed to produce a dense cavitation bubble cloud at the focus. The results clearly showed that a similar trend between the PMT output (i.e., the SCL results) and the broad band acoustic emissions started to appear at the frequencies considered above the fourth harmonic of the sonication frequency. The experimental observation suggests that the occurrence of inertial cavitation can be monitored using the high pass spectral acoustic power and the cut-off frequency can be effectively chosen with the aid of sonochemical luminescence measurement. The hybrid method is expected to be useful for cavitation dosimetry in various medical and industrial applications.

Characterising the cavitation activity generated by an ultrasonic horn at varying tip-vibration amplitudes

Dual-perspective high-speed imaging and acoustic detection is used to characterise cavitation activity at the tip of a commercial 20 kHz (f₀) ultrasonic horn, over 2 s sonications across the range of input powers available (20 - 100%). Imaging at 1 × 10⁵ frames per second (fps) captures cavitation-bubble cluster oscillation at the horn-tip for the duration of the sonication. Shadowgraphic imaging at 2 Mfps, from an orthogonal perspective, probes cluster collapse and shock wave generation at higher temporal resolution, facilitating direct correlation of features within the acoustic emission data generated by the bubble activity. f₀/m subharmonic collapses of the primary cavitation cluster directly beneath the tip, with m increasing through integer values at increasing input powers, are studied. Shock waves generated by periodic primary cluster collapses dominate the non-linear emissions of the cavitation noise spectra. Transitional input powers for which the value of m is indistinct, are identified. Overall shock wave content within the emission signals collected during sonications at transitional input powers are reduced, relative to input powers with distinct m. The findings are relevant for the optimisation of applications such as sonochemistry, known to be mediated by bubble collapse phenomena.

A Radiation Force Balance Target Material for Applications below 0.5 MHz

Acoustic output power is an important safety-related parameter whose standardised measurement method involves use of a radiation force balance in conjunction with a special target that is typically designed to be totally absorbing to ultrasound. International Standard International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61161 specifies important performance criteria for such an absorber, such as transmission loss and reflection loss. Currently, there is a lack of acoustic absorbers meeting these requirements at low frequencies (<0.5 MHz). This is unsatisfactory given emerging clinical applications, particularly therapeutic. Described here is an acoustic absorber appropriate for application below 0.5 MHz. Through use of two National Physical Laboratory measurement facilities, the absorber transmission loss and reflection loss have been derived over the frequency range 50-500 kHz. Results are presented and compared with performance requirements specified in IEC 61161, revealing the efficacy of the new material as an absorbing radiation force balance target down to a frequency of approximately 120 kHz.

A Review of Acoustic Impedance Matching Techniques for Piezoelectric Sensors and Transducers

The coupling of waves between the piezoelectric generators, detectors, and propagating media is challenging due to mismatch in the acoustic properties. The mismatch leads to the reverberation of waves within the transducer, heating, low signal-to-noise ratio, and signal distortion. Acoustic impedance matching increases the coupling largely. This article presents standard methods to match the acoustic impedance of the piezoelectric sensors, actuators, and transducers with the surrounding wave propagation media. Acoustic matching methods utilizing active and passive materials have been discussed. Special materials such as nanocomposites, metamaterials, and metasurfaces as emerging materials have been presented. Emphasis is placed throughout the article to differentiate the difference between electric and acoustic impedance matching and the relation between the two. Comparison of various techniques is made with the discussion on capabilities, advantages, and disadvantages. Acoustic impedance matching for specific and uncommon applications has also been covered.

Characterization of Ultrasonic Bubble Clouds in A Liquid Metal by Synchrotron X-ray High Speed Imaging and Statistical Analysis

Quantitative understanding of the interactions of ultrasonic waves with liquid and solidifying metals is essential for developing optimal processing strategies for ultrasound processing of metal alloys in the solidification processes. In this research, we used the synchrotron X-ray high-speed imaging facility at Beamline I12 of the Diamond Light Source, UK to study the dynamics of ultrasonic bubbles in a liquid Sn-30wt%Cu alloy. A new method based on the X-ray attenuation for a white X-ray beam was developed to extract quantitative information about the bubble clouds in the chaotic and quasi-static cavitation regions. Statistical analyses were made on the bubble size distribution, and velocity distribution. Such rich statistical data provide more quantitative information about the characteristics of ultrasonic bubble clouds and cavitation in opaque, high-temperature liquid metals.

An objective comparison of commercially-available cavitation meters

With a number of cavitation meters on the market which claim to characterise fields in ultrasonic cleaning baths, this paper provides an objective comparison of a selection of these devices and establishes the extent to which their claims are met. The National Physical Laboratory's multi-frequency ultrasonic reference vessel provided the stable 21.06kHz field, above and below the inertial cavitation threshold, as a test bed for the sensor comparison. Measurements from these devices were evaluated in relation to the known acoustic pressure distribution in the cavitating vessel as a means of identifying the mode of operation of the sensors and to examine the particular indicator of cavitation activity which they deliver. Through the comparison with megahertz filtered acoustic signals generated by inertial cavitation, it was determined that the majority of the cavitation meters used in this study responded to acoustic pressure generated by the direct applied acoustic field and therefore tended to overestimate the occurrence of cavitation within the vessel, giving non-zero responses under conditions when there was known to be no inertial cavitation occurring with the reference vessel. This has implications for interpreting the data they provide in user applications.

Characterizing the cavitation development and acoustic spectrum in various liquids

A bespoke cavitometer that measures acoustic spectrum and is capable of operating in a range of temperatures (up to 750°C) was used to study the cavitation behaviour in three transparent liquids and in molten aluminium. To relate these acoustic measurements to cavitation development, the dynamics of the cavitation bubble structures was observed in three Newtonian, optically transparent liquids with significantly different physical properties: water, ethanol, and glycerine. Each liquid was treated at 20kHz with a piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer coupled to a titanium sonotrode with a tip diameter of 40mm. Two different transducer power levels were deployed: 50% and 100%, with the maximum power corresponding to a peak-to-peak amplitude of 17μm. The cavitation structures and the flow patterns were filmed with a digital camera. To investigate the effect of distance from the ultrasound source on the cavitation intensity, acoustic emissions were measured with the cavitometer at two points: below the sonotrode and near the edge of the experimental vessel. The behaviour of the three tested liquids was very different, implying that their physical parameters played a decisive role in the establishment of the cavitation regime. Non dimensional analysis revealed that water shares the closest cavitation behaviour with liquid aluminium and can therefore be used as its physical analogue in cavitation studies; this similarity was also confirmed when comparing the measured acoustic spectra of water and liquid aluminium.

Measuring cavitation and its cleaning effect

The advantages and limitations of techniques for measuring the presence and amount of cavitation, and for quantifying the removal of contaminants, are provided. After reviewing chemical, physical, and biological studies, a universal cause for the cleaning effects of bubbles cannot yet be concluded. An "ideal sensor" with high spatial and temporal resolution is proposed. Such sensor could be used to investigate bubble jetting, shockwaves, streaming, and even chemical effects, by correlating cleaning processes with cavitation effects, generated by hydrodynamics, lasers or ultrasound.

Review of high-power ultrasound-industrial applications and measurement methods

Applications involving high-power ultrasound are expanding rapidly as ultrasonic intensification opportunities are identified in new fields. This is facilitated through new technological developments and an evolution of current systems to tackle challenging problems. It is therefore important to continually update both the scientific and commercial communities on current system performance and limitations. To achieve this objective, this paper addresses two key aspects of high-power ultrasonic systems. In the first part, the review of high-power applications focuses on industrial applications and documents the developing technology from its early cleaning applications through to the advanced sonochemistry, cutting, and water treatment applications used today. The second part provides a comprehensive overview of measurement techniques used in conjunction with high-power ultrasonic systems. This is an important and evolving field which enables design and process engineers to optimize the behavior and/or operation of key metrics of system performance, such as field distribution or cavitation intensity.

Characterization of acoustic cavitation in water and molten aluminum alloy

High-intensive ultrasonic vibrations have been recognized as an attractive tool for refining the grain structure of metals in casting technology. However, the practical application of ultrasonics in this area remains rather limited. One of the reasons is a lack of data needed to optimize the ultrasonic treatment conditions, particularly those concerning characteristics of cavitation zone in molten aluminum. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the intensity and spectral characteristics of cavitation noise generated during radiation of ultrasonic waves into water and molten aluminum alloys, and to establish a measure for evaluating the cavitation intensity. The measurements were performed by using a high temperature cavitometer capable of measuring the level of cavitation noise within five frequency bands from 0.01 to 10MHz. The effect of cavitation treatment was verified by applying high-intense ultrasonic vibrations to a DC caster to refine the primary silicon grains of a model Al-17Si alloy. It was found that the level of high frequency noise components is the most adequate parameter for evaluating the cavitation intensity. Based on this finding, it was concluded that implosions of cavitation bubbles play a decisive role in refinement of the alloy structure.

Electrical detection of the ultrasonic cavitation onset

We propose a new technique for the study of ultrasonic cavitation. This method is based on the quantification of the electrical admittance variations of the emitter in a range around the resonance frequency at different excitation levels. As the cavitation threshold is reached, the state of the fluid is changing; we evaluate these changes. The high-power piezoelectric transducer is modelled through an analytical model, which is used to relate the characteristics of the fluid domain (bubble density, extent) to the electrical admittance (peak value, resonance frequency, and bandwidth). Thus, the admittance we measure allows us to determine the characteristics of the bubbly liquid. The procedure is applied to the inertial cavitation field generated at 24kHz at very high amplitudes. The results obtained show that a very high bubble density layer is formed at the surface of the sonotrode.

Characterisation and improvement of a reference cylindrical sonoreactor

This paper describes theoretical and experimental methods for characterising the performance of a 25 kHz sonochemical reactor (RV-25), which is being developed as a reference facility for studying acoustic cavitation at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). Field measurements, acquired in different locations inside the sonoreactor, are compared with finite element models at different temperatures, showing that relatively small temperature variations can result in significant changes in the acoustic pressure distribution (and consequent cavitation activity). To improve stability, a deeper insight into the way energy is transferred from the power supply to the acoustic field is presented, leading to criteria - based on modal analysis - to dimension and verify an effective temperature control loop. The simultaneous use of measurements and modelling in this work produced guidelines for the design of multi-frequency cylindrical sonoreactors, also described.

Exploiting thermochromic materials for the rapid quality assurance of physiotherapy ultrasound treatment heads

Significant nonuniformities in the acoustic intensity distribution generated by physiotherapy ultrasound treatment heads are not uncommon, potentially leading to significant localised temperature rises and tissue damage. An acoustic absorber tile containing a thermochromic pigment has been developed to provide rapid quality assurance of physiotherapy ultrasound treatment heads by virtue of a thermochromic colour change, indicating the time-averaged intensity distributions generated by these devices. As a bench-top device, the use of the tile is designed to mimic the nature of the physiotherapeutic application, requiring minimal training. Two designs where thermochromic pigments are added to the various polymeric layers of the tile are presented. Testing has been conducted with two physiotherapy treatment heads of differing performance, one of them notably exhibiting a strong "hot-spot" in localised acoustic time-averaged intensity. Findings show good qualitative agreement with classical hydrophone scans. Techniques are explored for the correction of nonlinearities in the thermochromic relationship, to enhance the accuracy of quantitative assessment.

Acoustic emission spectra and sonochemical activity in a 36 kHz sonoreactor

During ultrasound-induced cavitation in liquids, acoustic emissions at fundamental and harmonic frequencies can be detected. The effect of acoustic emissions at harmonic frequencies on the sonochemical and sonophysical activities has not been explored, especially in large-scale sonoreactors. In this study, the acoustic emissions in the range, 0-250 kHz in a 36 kHz sonoreactor with varying liquid heights were studied and compared with the sonochemical activities. The acoustic pressures at both fundamental and harmonics decreased drastically as the liquid height was increased due to the attenuation of sound energy. It was observed that the increase in input power resulted in only an increase in the acoustic emissions at derivative frequencies such as, harmonics and subharmonics. The sonochemical activity, evaluated in terms of sonochemiluminescence and H2O2 yield, was not significantly enhanced at higher input power levels. This suggests that at higher power levels, the "extra" acoustic energy is not effectively used to generate primary cavitation activity; rather it is converted to generate acoustic emissions at harmonic and subharmonic frequencies. This is an important observation for the design of energy efficiency large-scale sonochemical reactors.

Simulation and measurement of nonlinear behavior in a high-power test cell

High-power ultrasound has many diverse uses in process applications in industries ranging from food to pharmaceutical. Because cavitation is frequently a desirable effect within many high-power, low-frequency systems, these systems are commonly expected to feature highly nonlinear acoustic propagation because of the high input levels employed. This generation of harmonics significantly alters the field profile compared with that of a linear system, making accurate field modeling difficult. However, when the short propagation distances involved are considered, it is not unreasonable to assume that these systems may remain largely linear until the onset of cavitation, in terms of classical acoustic propagation. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possible nonlinear effects within such systems before the onset of cavitation. A theoretical description of nonlinear propagation will be presented and the merits of common analytical models will be discussed. Following this, a numerical model of nonlinearity will be outlined and the advantages it presents for representing nonlinear effects in bounded fields will be discussed. Next, the driving equipment and transducers will be evaluated for linearity to disengage any effects from those formed in the transmission load. Finally, the linearity of the system will be measured using an acoustic hydrophone and compared with finite element analysis to confirm that nonlinear effects are not prevalent in such systems at the onset of cavitation.

A study of bubble activity generated in ex vivo tissue by high intensity focused ultrasound

Cancer treatment by extracorporeal high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is constrained by the time required to ablate clinically relevant tumour volumes. Although cavitation may be used to optimize HIFU treatments, its role during lesion formation is ambiguous. Clear differentiation is required between acoustic cavitation (noninertial and inertial) effects and bubble formation arising from two thermally-driven effects (the vapourization of liquid into vapour, and the exsolution of formerly dissolved permanent gas out of the liquid and into gas spaces). This study uses clinically relevant HIFU exposures in degassed water and ex vivo bovine liver to test a suite of cavitation detection techniques that exploit passive and active acoustics, audible emissions and the electrical drive power fluctuations. Exposure regimes for different cavitation activities (none, acoustic cavitation and, for ex vivo tissue only, acoustic cavitation plus thermally-driven gas space formation) were identified both in degassed water and in ex vivo liver using the detectable characteristic acoustic emissions. The detection system proved effective in both degassed water and tissue, but requires optimization for future clinical application.

A PVDF receiver for ultrasound monitoring of transcranial focused ultrasound therapy

Focused ultrasound (FUS) shows great promise for use in the area of transcranial therapy. Currently dependent on MRI for monitoring, transcranial FUS would benefit from a real-time technique to monitor acoustic emissions during therapy. A polyvinylidene fluoride receiver with an active area of 17.8 mm (2) and a film thickness of 110 mum was constructed. A compact preamplifier was designed to fit within the receiver to improve the receiver SNR and allow the long transmission line needed to remove the receiver electronics outside of the MRI room. The receiver was compared with a 0.5 mm commercial needle hydrophone and focused and unfocused piezoceramics. The receiver was found to have a higher sensitivity than the needle hydrophone, a more wideband response than the piezoceramic, and sufficient threshold for detection of microbubble emissions. Sonication of microbubbles directly and through a fragment of human skull demonstrated the ability of the receiver to detect harmonic bubble emissions, and showed potential for use in a larger scale array. Monitoring of disruption of the blood-brain barrier in rats showed functionality in vivo and the ability to detect subharmonic, harmonic, and wideband emissions during therapy. The receiver shows potential for monitoring acoustic emissions during treatments and providing additional parameters to assist treatment planning. Future work will focus on developing a multi-element array for transcranial treatment monitoring.

Numerical simulations of acoustic cavitation noise with the temporal fluctuation in the number of bubbles

Numerical simulations of cavitation noise have been performed under the experimental conditions reported by Ashokkumar et al. (2007) [26]. The results of numerical simulations have indicated that the temporal fluctuation in the number of bubbles results in the broad-band noise. "Transient" cavitation bubbles, which disintegrate into daughter bubbles mostly in a few acoustic cycles, generate the broad-band noise as their short lifetimes cause the temporal fluctuation in the number of bubbles. Not only active bubbles in light emission (sonoluminescence) and chemical reactions but also inactive bubbles generate the broad-band noise. On the other hand, "stable" cavitation bubbles do not generate the broad-band noise. The weaker broad-band noise from a low-concentration surfactant solution compared to that from pure water observed experimentally by Ashokkumar et al. is caused by the fact that most bubbles are shape stable in a low-concentration surfactant solution due to the smaller ambient radii than those in pure water. For a relatively high number density of bubbles, the bubble-bubble interaction intensifies the broad-band noise. Harmonics in cavitation noise are generated by both "stable" and "transient" cavitation bubbles which pulsate nonlinearly with the period of ultrasound.

Opto-isolation of electrochemical systems in cavitation environments

An electrochemical technique that can detect inertial cavitation within an ultrasonic reactor is reported. The technique relies on the erosion and repassivation of an oxide covered electrode (specifically aluminum). The sensitivity of the technique (<46 fg per erosion event) is significantly greater than normal weight loss measurements. A novel opto-isolation system is discussed which enables the electrochemical measurements to be undertaken within an earthed metallic container. Events detected in this manner are reported and compared to the noise in the absence of appropriate isolation. This system is combined with a multichannel analyzer to map the erosion/corrosion activity within an operating ultrasonic bath.

Cavitation occurrence around ultrasonic dental scalers

Ultrasonic scalers are used in dentistry to remove calculus and other contaminants from teeth. One mechanism which may assist in the cleaning is cavitation generated in cooling water around the scaler. The vibratory motion of three designs of scaler tip in a water bath has been characterised by laser vibrometry, and compared with the spatial distribution of cavitation around the scaler tips observed using sonochemiluminescence from a luminol solution. The type of cavitation was confirmed by acoustic emission analysed by a 'Cavimeter' supplied by NPL. A node/antinode vibration pattern was observed, with the maximum displacement of each type of tip occurring at the free end. High levels of cavitation activity occurred in areas surrounding the vibration antinodes, although minimal levels were observed at the free end of the tip. There was also good correlation between vibration amplitude and sonochemiluminescence at other points along the scaler tip. 'Cavimeter' analysis correlated well with luminol observations, suggesting the presence of primarily transient cavitation.

Temporal and spatial detection of HIFU-induced inertial and hot-vapor cavitation with a diagnostic ultrasound system

The onset and presence of inertial cavitation and near-boiling temperatures in high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy have been identified as important indicators of energy deposition for therapy guidance. Passive cavitation detection is commonly used to detect bubble emissions, where a fixed-focus single-element acoustic transducer is typically used as a passive cavitation detector (PCD). This technique is suboptimal for clinical applications, because most PCD transducers are tightly focused and afford limited spatial coverage of the HIFU focal region. A Terason 2000 Ultrasound System was used as a PCD array to expand the spatial detection region for cavitation by operating in passive mode, obtaining the radiofrequency signals corresponding to each scan line and filtering the contribution from scattering of the HIFU signal harmonics. This approach allows for spatially resolved detection of both inertial and stable cavitation throughout the focal region. Measurements with the PCD array during sonication with a 1.1-MHz HIFU source in tissue phantoms were compared with single-element PCD and thermocouple sensing. Stable cavitation signals at the harmonics and superharmonics increased in a threshold fashion for temperatures >90 degrees C, an effect attributed to high vapor pressure in the cavities. Incorporation of these detection techniques in a diagnostic ultrasound platform could result in a powerful tool for improving HIFU guidance and treatment.

Toward a reference ultrasonic cavitation vessel: Part 2--investigating the spatial variation and acoustic pressure threshold of inertial cavitation in a 25 kHz ultrasound field

As part of an ongoing project to establish a reference facility for acoustic cavitation at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), carefully controlled studies on a 25 kHz, 1.8 kW cylindrical vessel are described. Using a patented high-frequency acoustic emission detection method and a sonar hydrophone, results are presented of the spatial variation of inertial acoustic cavitation with increasing peak-negative pressure. Results show that at low operating levels, inertial acoustic cavitation is restricted to, and is strongly localized on, the vessel axis. At intermediate power settings, inertial acoustic cavitation also occurs close to the vessel walls, and at higher settings, a complex spatial variation is seen that is not apparent in measurements of the 25 kHz driving field alone. At selected vessel locations, a systematic investigation of the inertial cavitation threshold is described. This was carried out by making simultaneous measurements of the peak-negative pressures leading to inertial cavitation and the resultant MHz-frequency emissions, and indicates an inertial cavitation threshold of 101 kPa +/- 14% (estimated expanded uncertainty). However, an intermediate threshold at 84 kPa +/- 14% (estimated expanded uncertainty) is also seen. The results are discussed alongside theoretical predictions and recent experimental findings.

Determination of the receiving range of sound field measurements in cavitating media

Sound field measurements are widely used for the quantitative description of cavitation processes. For practical purposes it is important to know how local a sound field measurement information is, and therefore a technique is presented which allows the determination of the receiving range of such a measurement. The sound field is detected by two calibrated, similar hydrophones, mounted face to face in the cavitation cloud. The distance between the hydrophones is varied and the correlation between the two time-dependent signals is analyzed in the frequency domain defining a local parameter. The dependence of this parameter on the distance between the hydrophones describes the receiving range of a sound field measurement by means of a characteristic distance. The technique was applied to two different cavitation applications, and effective distances in the range 1-3mm were obtained. It is shown that the spatial resolution of a sound field measurement in a cavitation field is determined by the hydrophone size and does not depend on the cavitation conditions if at least a medium cavitation activity is provided.

Measurement of sound field in cavitating media by an optical fibre-tip hydrophone

A fibre-optic technique was applied to measure the sound field in an ultrasonic cleaning vessel under practical conditions. A metal-coated fibre-tip is used as a sensor and a heterodyne interferometer detects the change in the optical path resulting from the movement of the fibre-tip in the sound field. Spectrally resolved sound field parameters such as the fundamental, the subharmonic or cavitation noise are extracted from the measurements and compared with results obtained by a piezo-electric hydrophone. It was found that the fibre sensor provides a signal related to the velocity in the sound field, but the information about cavitation-related parameters is similar to the information for pressure sensing techniques. The fibre-optic sensors have a uniquely high spatial resolution and the sound detection process is strongly influenced by single cavitation events close to the small fibre-tip. This paper shows that fibre-tip sensors are an alternative to common hydrophone techniques. They can open up new possibilities for measurement problems for which so far no solution exists, in particular when a high spatial resolution is required or when the measurement site is small.

Acoustic Emission Spectra from 515 kHz Cavitation in Aqueous Solutions Containing Surface-Active Solutes

The effect of adding surface-active solutes to water being insonated at 515 kHz has been investigated by monitoring the acoustic emission from the solutions. At low concentrations (<3 mM), sodium dodecyl sulfate causes marked changes to the acoustic emission spectrum which can be interpreted in terms of preventing bubble coalescence and declustering of bubbles within a cavitating bubble cloud. By conducting experiments in the presence of background electrolytes and also using non-ionic surfactants, the importance of electrostatic effects has been revealed. The results provide further mechanistic evidence for the interpretation of the effect of surface-active solutes on acoustic cavitation and hence on the mechanism of sonochemistry. The work will be valuable to many researchers in allowing them to optimize reaction and process conditions in sonochemical systems.

Towards a reference ultrasonic cavitation vessel. Part 1: preliminary investigation of the acoustic field distribution in a 25 kHz cylindrical cell

The acoustic field produced by a 25 kHz, 25 l cylindrical sonochemical processing cell has been characterised systematically using a sonar hydrophone, with the aim of establishing it as a reference test bed on which future investigations into acoustic cavitation activity may be based. Data acquired at sonication levels up to 500 W have shown that though significant cavitation activity is generated throughout the vessel, the acoustic field generated is reproducible, typically to +/- 12%. The increases in acoustic pressure are shown to be nonlinear with applied power, suggesting an intermediate optimum level for future study.

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.

Acoustic Emission from Cavitating Solutions: Implications for the Mechanisms of Sonochemical Reactions

The acoustic emission from collapsing cavitation bubbles generated using ultrasound of 20 kHz and 515 kHz frequencies in water has been measured and correlated with sonoluminescence and hydroxyl radical production to yield further information on the frequency dependence of sonochemical reactions. A reasonable correlation was found, and the results suggest differences in the predominant types of cavitation observed under laboratory conditions.

On the Closing Sounds of a Mechanical Heart Valve

In the 1994 Replacement Heart Valve Guidance of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in-vitro testing is required to evaluate the potential for cavitation damage of a mechanical heart valve (MHV). To fulfill this requirement, the stroboscopic high-speed imaging method is commonly used to visualize cavitation bubbles at the instant of valve closure. The procedure is expensive; it is also limited because not every cavitation event is detected, thus leaving the possibility of missing the whole cavitation process. As an alternative, some researchers have suggested an acoustic cavitation-detection method, based on the observation that cavitation noise has a broadband spectrum. In practice, however, it is difficult to differentiate between cavitation noise and the valve closing sound, which may also contain high-frequency components. In the present study, the frequency characteristics of the closing sound in air of a Björk-Shiley Convexo-Concave (BSCC) valve are investigated. The occluder closing speed is used as a control parameter, which is measured via a laser sweeping technique. It is found that for the BSCC valve tested, the distribution of the sound energy over its frequency domain changes at different valve closing speeds, but the cut-off frequency remains unchanged at 123.32 +/- 6.12 kHz. The resonant frequencies of the occluder are also identified from the valve closing sound.

A novel sensor for monitoring acoustic cavitation. Part II: Prototype performance evaluation

This paper describes a series of experimental studies to evaluate the performance of newly developed sensors for monitoring broadband acoustic emissions generated by acoustic cavitation. The prototype sensors are fabricated in the form of hollow, open-ended cylinders, whose inner surface is made from a thin film of piezoelectric polymer acting as a passive acoustic receiver of bandwidth greater than 10 MHz. A 4-mm thick coating of special acoustical absorber forms the outer surface of the sensor. The layer functions as a shield to cavitation events occurring outside the hollow sensor body, allowing megahertz acoustic emissions emanating from within the liquid contained in the sensor to be monitored. Testing of the new sensor concept has been carried out within the cavitating field provided by a commercial ultrasonic cleaning vessel operating at 40 kHz whose power output is rated at 1 kW. It is demonstrated that the prototype cavitation sensors are able to record a systematic increase in the level of the high-frequency acoustic spectrum (> 1 MHz) as electrical power to the cleaning vessel is increased. Through careful control of the experimental conditions, reproducibility of the high frequency "energy" associated with the cavitation spectrum was found to be typically +25%.