Eckart acoustic streaming in a heptagonal chamber by multiple acoustic transducers

Abstract

A new computational method was developed to simulate a two-dimensional Eckart acoustic streaming field in an ultrasonic heptagonal chamber actuated by multiple acoustic transducers with different associated frequencies and acoustic incident pressures. Simulation was conducted using the superposition of multiple spatial gradients of the Reynolds stresses and the second mean sound pressures at different frequencies. The developed method extends beyond the capabilities of the conventional method that is restricted to uniform frequency and incident pressure. Various acoustic streaming patterns can be feasibly generated by tuning the frequency and incident pressure of each individual transducer. The implementation of multiple acoustic transducers offers flexibility to control acoustic flows in microfluidic devices for various applications. Furthermore, the developed simulation method for acoustic streaming fields provides an optimization tool for the frequency, incident pressure and location of each transducer.