Effect of Ultrasonic Frequency on the Atomization Characteristics of Single Water Droplet in an Acoustic Levitation Field

Abstract

This paper describes the effect of ultrasonic frequency(f) on the atomization and deformation characteristics of single water droplet in an acoustic levitation field. To achieve this, the ultrasonic levitator that can control sound pressure and velocity amplitude by changing frequency was installed, and visualization of single water droplet was conducted with high resolution ICCD and CCD camera. At the same time, atomization and deformation characteristics of single water droplet was studied in terms of normalized droplet diameter(d/d0), droplet diameter(d) variation and droplet volume(V) variation under different ultrasonic frequency(f) conditions. It was revealed that increase of ultrasonic frequency reduces the droplet diameter. Therefore, it is able to levitate with low sound pressure level. It also induces the wide oscillation range, large diameter and volume variation of water droplet. In conclusion, the increase of ultrasonic frequency(f) can enhance the atomization performance of single water droplet.