Ambient temperature effect on single-bubble sonoluminescence in different concentrations of sulfuric acid solutions

The impact of methanol mass transport on its conversion for the production of hydrogen and oxygenated reactive species in sono-irradiated aqueous solution

This study aims principally to assess numerically the impact of methanol mass transport (i.e., evaporation/condensation across the acoustic bubble wall) on the thermodynamics and chemical effects (methanol conversion, hydrogen and oxygenated reactive species production) of acoustic cavitation in sono-irradiated aqueous solution. This effect was revealed at various ultrasound frequencies (from 213 to 1000 kHz) and acoustic intensities (1 and 2 W/cm2) over a range of methanol concentrations (from 0 to 100%, v/v). It was found that the impact of methanol concentration on the expansion and compression ratios, bubble temperature, CH3OH conversion and the molar productions inside the bubble is frequency dependent (either with or without consideration of methanol mass transport), where this effect is more pronounced when the ultrasound frequency is decreased. Alternatively, the decrease in acoustic intensity decreases clearly the effect of methanol mass transport on the bubble sono-activity. When methanol mass transfer is eliminated, the decrease of the bubble temperature, CH3OH conversion and the molar yield of the bubble with the rise of methanol concentration was found to be more amortized as the wave frequency is reduced from 1 MHz to 213 kHz, compared to the case when the mass transport of methanol is taken into account. Our findings indicate clearly the importance of incorporating the evaporation and condensation mechanisms of methanol throughout the numerical simulations of a single bubble dynamics and chemical activity.

Influence of liquid density variation on the bubble and gas dynamics of a single acoustic cavitation bubble

The effects of liquid density variation at the bubble surface on the dynamics of a single acoustic cavitation bubble are numerically studied. The Gilmore model together with a comprehensive hydrochemical model is used. The evaporation and condensation of water vapor are included in the hydrochemical model. The simulation results are compared to those resulting from the widely known Keller-Miksis model, which assumes a constant liquid density at the bubble surface. The numerical results for a single argon bubble in water reveal that the pressure and the temperature inside the bubble in collapse phase significantly increase, when the non-constant liquid density is used. These differences increase by raising the ultrasonic amplitude and by decreasing the bubble ambient radius and ultrasonic frequency. More importantly, at higher ultrasonic frequencies, the models give the same results regarding the cavitation dynamics and much more remarkably on the thermodynamic behavior of the bubble contents. Also, it is revealed that the entered number of water vapor molecules into the bubble in expansion phase through evaporation are less than the simulated one by the diffusion limited model. Notably, in the case of an argon bubble in aqueous solution of H₂SO₄(85wt%), a better match between the results of two models is observed. In addition, it is shown that considering the liquid bulk viscosity, arising from the rapid liquid density variation at the end of bubble collapse, in the Gilmore model leads to a slight growth in the collapse strength, temperature, and pressure within the bubble.

How important is the liquid bulk viscosity effect on the dynamics of a single cavitation bubble?

The influence of liquid bulk viscosity on the dynamics of a single cavitation bubble is numerically studied via Gilmore model with a new modified boundary condition at bubble interface. In order to more accurately describe the interior gas thermodynamics, a hydrochemical model is used. The numerical results for an argon bubble in water and aqueous H₂SO₄ show that including the liquid bulk viscosity slightly affects the bubble dynamics in collapse phase. This effect becomes significant only at high ultrasonic amplitudes and high viscosities. Moreover, the maximum pressure value inside the bubble is much more influenced than the maximum temperature. This finding lends support to results of Shen et al. [25] and significantly differ from some previous results reported in the literature.

Plasma core at the center of a sonoluminescing bubble

Considering high temperature and pressure during single bubble sonoluminescence collapse, a hot plasma core is generated at the center of the bubble. In this paper a statistical mechanics approach is used to calculate the core pressure and temperature. A hydrochemical model alongside a plasma core is used to study the bubble dynamics in two host liquids of water and sulfuric acid 85 wt % containing Ar atoms. Calculation shows that the extreme pressure and temperature in the plasma core are mainly due to the interaction of the ionized Ar atoms and electrons, which is one step forward to sonofusion. The thermal bremsstrahlung mechanism of radiation is used to analyze the emitted optical energy per flash of the bubble core.