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Title: Scaling and dimensional analysis of acoustic streaming jets

Journal Article · · Physics of Fluids (1994)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4895518· OSTI ID:22311055
; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Laboratoire de Mécanique des Fluides et d’Acoustique, CNRS/Université de Lyon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon/Université Lyon 1/INSA de Lyon, ECL, 36 Avenue Guy de Collongue, 69134 Ecully Cedex (France)
  2. CEA, Laboratoire d’Instrumentation et d’Expérimentation en Mécanique des Fluides et Thermohydraulique, DEN/DANS/DM2S/STMF/LIEFT, CEA-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France)

This paper focuses on acoustic streaming free jets. This is to say that progressive acoustic waves are used to generate a steady flow far from any wall. The derivation of the governing equations under the form of a nonlinear hydrodynamics problem coupled with an acoustic propagation problem is made on the basis of a time scale discrimination approach. This approach is preferred to the usually invoked amplitude perturbations expansion since it is consistent with experimental observations of acoustic streaming flows featuring hydrodynamic nonlinearities and turbulence. Experimental results obtained with a plane transducer in water are also presented together with a review of the former experimental investigations using similar configurations. A comparison of the shape of the acoustic field with the shape of the velocity field shows that diffraction is a key ingredient in the problem though it is rarely accounted for in the literature. A scaling analysis is made and leads to two scaling laws for the typical velocity level in acoustic streaming free jets; these are both observed in our setup and in former studies by other teams. We also perform a dimensional analysis of this problem: a set of seven dimensionless groups is required to describe a typical acoustic experiment. We find that a full similarity is usually not possible between two acoustic streaming experiments featuring different fluids. We then choose to relax the similarity with respect to sound attenuation and to focus on the case of a scaled water experiment representing an acoustic streaming application in liquid metals, in particular, in liquid silicon and in liquid sodium. We show that small acoustic powers can yield relatively high Reynolds numbers and velocity levels; this could be a virtue for heat and mass transfer applications, but a drawback for ultrasonic velocimetry.

OSTI ID:
22311055
Journal Information:
Physics of Fluids (1994), Vol. 26, Issue 9; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-6631
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English