Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-jr42d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T05:39:50.824Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Some investigations on the use of ultrasonics in travelling bubble cavitation control

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2004

DHIMAN CHATTERJEE
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
VIJAY H. ARAKERI
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India

Abstract

In this paper we report results from some investigations on the use of ultrasonics in controlling travelling bubble cavitation. Control of this type of cavitation, generated using a venturi device, has been achieved by manipulation of potential nuclei using a piezoelectric device, termed the Ultrasonic Nuclei Manipulator (UNM). The performance of the UNM, activated in continuous-wave (CW) and pulsed modes, has been studied over a range of dissolved gas concentration ($C$). The performance under CW-excitation is found to depend sensitively on $C$, with lack of control in near-saturated water samples. Failure to control cavitation at $C \approx 1$ under CW-excitation is suggested to be a result of bubble growth by rectified diffusion under these conditions. The pulsed mode of excitation of the UNM, in such cases, seems to be a very promising alternative. Further improvement is observed by using two piezoelectric crystals, one driven in the CW-mode and the second in pulsed mode, as the UNM. Through carefully designed experimentation, this has been traced to the movement of nuclei under the influence of Bjerknes forces. Besides reduction of noise, other measures of control have been identified and investigated. For example, it has been found that the maximum velocity achievable at the venturi throat can be increased from about 15 m s$^{-1}$ to about 22 m s$^{-1}$ with nuclei manipulation using ultrasonics.

Type
Papers
Copyright
© 2004 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)