Acoustic Trap in Glass Capillary with Bias Flow

Application ID: 113701


A 3D model of an acoustic trap in a glass capillary with a bias flow through the capillary. The acoustics is actuated by an oscillating electric potential across a piezoelectric transducer, inducing mechanical vibrations in the solid, and an acoustic pressure field in the fluid. The heat generated by the piezoelectric transducer is modeled, it leads to a temperature gradient in the glass capillary causing gradients in the fluid properties. The bias flow contributes with convective heat transport which makes the temperature field asymmetric. The acoustic field and the gradients in the fluid properties induce thermoacoustic streaming. The streaming structure also depends on the bias flow due to the heat convection. The trajectories, of particles in the trap, are plotted in postprocessing using the streamline plot functionality. It is investigated what particle size the acoustic trap can hold/pin in the presence of the bias flow.

This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products: