Ultrasonic standing waves in industrial applications

In many industrial applications, nonlinear standing wave fields form due to reflections at the fluid boundaries. The characterization of such ultrasonic standing wave fields requires numerical and experimental methods. The numerical simulation of high-intensity ultrasonic standing waves are considered based on a finite element (FE) scheme, which allows the simulation of nonlinear wave propagation. Firstly, we verify our numerical results by comparing them to analytical solutions. Next, data is presented showing the nonlinear distortion effects in a standing wave with cylindrical symmetry. We are also presenting measurements of standing waves using different measurement techniques. Hydrophones and a laser vibrometer are used as measuring instruments. Experiments were carried out in cylindrical containers filled with a fluid, both with and without cavitation. Comparisons are made between measurement results from the FE simulations.