Vortex dynamics of collapsing bubbles: Impact on the boundary layer measured by chronoamperometry

Exploring viscosity influence mechanisms on coating removal: Insights from single cavitation bubble behaviours in low-frequency ultrasonic settings

The role of acoustic cavitation in various surface cleaning disciplines is important. However, the physical mechanisms underlying acoustic cavitation-induced surface cleansing are poorly understood. This is due to the combination of microscopic and ultrashort timescales associated with the dynamics of acoustic cavitation bubbles. Here, we have precisely controlled single-bubble cavitation in both space and time. Ultrasonic excitation leads to the cavitation of generated single bubbles. A synchronous ultrafast photomicrographic system simultaneously records the dynamics of single acoustic cavitation bubbles (SACBs) and the cleaning process of the nearby surface in liquids with varying viscosities. Finally, we analysed the correlation between bubble dynamics and surface cleaning situations. The differences in the typical dynamic characteristics of the bubbles during collapse in liquids with varying viscosities reveal two main mechanisms underlying surface cleaning by acoustic cavitation, which are respective the Laplace pressure during the bubble's movement and liquid jets during bubble collapse. Our study provides a better physical understanding of the ultrasonic cleaning process based on acoustic cavitation, and will help to optimize and facilitate the applications of surface cleaning, especially for the cleaning of substrates with tightly attached dirt.

Considering agitation in ultrasonic electroplating through observation of cavitation

Ultrasonic electroplating produces various effects, including refinement of the plating film structure, by generating localized agitation through cavitation bubbles. However, details of the agitation mechanism have not been clarified because ultrasonic cavitation is very small in scale and occurs rapidly, and its reproducibility is low. Therefore, using laser-induced cavitation, which can generate cavitation similar to ultrasonic waves with high reproducibility, the author attempted to elucidate the conditions and frequency of cavitation generation that affect the agitation phenomenon in ultrasonic electroplating. By controlling the laser irradiation position, three different cavitation conditions were established, and the microstructures of the plated films produced were compared. Microstructural refinement was the most advanced under the condition of microjet generation. The frequency of cavitation generation at any position in the ultrasonic electroplating was estimated to be < 1 Hz.

In situ measurement of cavitation damage from single bubble collapse using high-speed chronoamperometry

We quantitatively study cavitation damage non-invasively, in-place and time-resolved at microsecond resolution. A single, laser-induced bubble is generated in an aqueous NaCl solution close to the surface of an aluminum sample. High-speed chronoamperometry is used to record the corrosion current flowing between the sample and an identical aluminum electrode immersed in the same solution. This configuration makes it possible to measure the cavitation damage in the nanometer thin passive layer of the aluminum surface via the corrosion current from the repassivation. Synchronously with the corrosion current, the bubble dynamics is recorded via high-speed imaging. Correlation between the two measurements allows contributing cavitation damage to the respective stages of the bubble dynamics. The largest cavitation-induced currents were observed for the smallest initial bubble-to-surface stand-off distances. As the bubble re-expands and collapses again in several stages, further current peaks were detected implying a sequence of smaller damage. At intermediate stand-offs the bubble was not damaging and at large stand-off distances, the bubble was only damaging during the second collapse which again occurs at the solid surface.

Comparing cleaning effects of gas and vapor bubbles in ultrasonic fields

The dynamic actions of cavitation bubbles in ultrasonic fields can clean surfaces. Gas and vapor cavitation bubbles exhibit different dynamic behaviors in ultrasonic fields, yet little attention has been given to the distinctive cleaning effects of gas and vapor bubbles. We present an experimental investigation of surface cleaning by gas and vapor bubbles in an ultrasonic field. Using high-speed videography, we found that the primary motions of gas and vapor bubbles responsible for surface cleaning differ. Our cleaning tests under different contamination conditions in terms of contaminant adhesion strength and surface wettability reveal that vapor and gas bubbles are more effective at removing contaminants with strong and weak adhesion, respectively, and furthermore that hydrophobic substrates are better cleaned by vapor bubbles. Our study not only provides a better physical understanding of the ultrasonic cleaning process, but also proposes novel techniques to improve ultrasonic cleaning by selectively employing gas and vapor bubbles depending on the characteristics of the surface to be cleaned.

Effect of low-frequency ultrasonic field at different power on the dynamics of a single bubble near a rigid wall

Various bubble dynamics near the boundary in an acoustic field play a significantly important role in destructive erosion which has been associated with applications in industry cleaning, chemical engineering and biomedicine. But the effect mechanism of the high pressure on the boundary induce by single acoustic cavitation bubble has not been fully elucidated, which is vital for further application. The objective of this paper is to investigate the behaviors of a gas bubble near a rigid wall in a low frequency ultrasonic field. The temporal evolution of the bubble was recorded by means of synchronous high-speed recordings. Meanwhile, the time of bubble collapse, velocity of the bubble margin and the characteristics of the liquid jet were analyzed. In addition, the bubble dynamics were simulated based on potential flow theory coupled with the boundary integral method (BIM). Results are presented for a single bubble generated near the rigid wall with the normalized standoff distance γ = 1.85 under a wide range of ultrasonic power. The results show that the dynamics of the bubble can be divided into four phases: oscillation, movement, collapse and rebound. And when the applied ultrasonic power increases, the time of bubble collapse has a clear trend to decrease and the maximum velocity of the bubble margin increases apparently. Furthermore, the bubble behaviors after its first collapse, such as the number and the velocity of the effective jets, also vary evidently as the increase of the ultrasonic power. These results about bubble dynamics in ultrasonic field may be significant to determine or correct the main mechanisms of acoustic cavitation.

Study of Cavitation Bubble Collapse near a Wall by the Modified Lattice Boltzmann Method

In this paper, an improved lattice Boltzmann Shan‒Chen model coupled with Carnahan-Starling equation of state (C-S EOS) and the exact differential method (EDM) force scheme is used to simulate the cavitation bubble collapse in the near-wall region. First, the collapse of a single cavitation bubble in the near-wall region was simulated; the results were in good agreement with the physical experiment and the stability of the model was verified. Then the simulated model was used to simulate the collapse of two cavitation bubbles in the near-wall region. The main connection between the two cavitation bubble centre lines and the wall surface had a 45° angle and parallel and the evolution law of cavitation bubbles in the near-wall region is obtained. Finally, the effects of a single cavitation bubble and double cavitation bubble on the wall surface in the near-wall region are compared, which can be used to study the method to reduce the influence of cavitation on solid materials in practical engineering. The cavitation bubble collapse process under a two-dimensional pressure field is visualized, and the flow field is used to describe the morphological changes of cavitation bubble collapse in the near-wall region. The improved lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) Shan‒Chen model has many advantages in simulating cavitation problems, and will provide a reference for further simulations.

Membrane cleaning with ultrasonically driven bubbles

A laboratory filtration plant for drinking water treatment is constructed to study the conditions for purely mechanical in situ cleaning of fouled polymeric membranes by the application of ultrasound. The filtration is done by suction of water with defined constant contamination through a membrane module, a stack of five pairs of flat-sheet ultrafiltration membranes. The short cleaning cycle to remove the cake layer from the membranes includes backwashing, the application of ultrasound and air flushing. A special geometry for sound irradiation of the membranes parallel to their surfaces is chosen. Two frequencies, 35kHz and 130kHz, and different driving powers are tested for their cleaning effectiveness. No cleaning is found for 35kHz, whereas good cleaning results are obtained for 130kHz, with an optimum cleaning effectiveness at moderate driving powers. Acoustic and optic measurements in space and time as well as analytical considerations and numerical calculations reveal the reasons and confirm the experimental results. The sound field is measured in high resolution and bubble structures are high-speed imaged on their nucleation sites as well as during their cleaning work at the membrane surface. The microscopic inspection of the membrane surface after cleaning shows distinct cleaning types in the cake layer that are related to specific bubble behaviour on the membrane. The membrane integrity and permeate quality are checked on-line by particle counting and turbidity measurement of the permeate. No signs of membrane damage or irreversible membrane degradation in permeability are detected and an excellent water permeate quality is retained.