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Note – Before we start, there is a nomenclature conundrum when it comes to the term “ultrasonic transducer.” Through convention, transducer elements, the individual devices that produce ultrasonic vibrations (much like an individual radio speaker), are commonly called “transducers.” A number of transducer elements working in parallel constitute a transducer array but may be called … Continued
Ultrasonic cavitation and implosion provide a unique benefit in cleaning unmatched by other means. So much so that ultrasonic cleaning is often used as a benchmark to judge the effectiveness of other cleaning techniques. The major factors in cleaning are Time, Temperature, Chemistry and Mechanical Effect or Motion (TTCM). There are other acronyms for these … Continued
After God knows how many years of looking at that one image of a cavitation bubble presented endlessly with different color variations etc. to “freshen it up” there has emerged some exciting new footage of actual cavitation bubble implosion! Now, as a start, I don’t think these bubbles, at least the first ones, are the … Continued
One thing I should have learned over the years is to not speculate on the outcome of experimentation. In the previous blog, I advanced some theories on how liquid and air exchange might be enhanced in cleaning blind holes by using a carefully directed jet of water. Then it was off the fish tank to verify … Continued
In the blog “Reader Questions – Monitoring Ultrasonic Transducers,” I suggested a couple of ways one might test individual ultrasonic transducers to assure they have not become ineffective due to de-bonding from the cleaning tank. In an extension of the spirit of that blog, quality control measures for ultrasonic cleaning performance, I decided to check out a paper I … Continued
As one grows older it is impossible to not occasionally reflect on life and ask, “How did I get here?” I have been on this earth for a little over 70 years, and, I am convinced that, except for infancy, I have probably been an engineer for my entire life. I don’t think it is … Continued
Clean rooms are an integral and necessary part of many manufacturing operations. The goal of a clean room is to provide an environment without airborne contaminants including common dust, aerosols, particles and other contaminants that are suspended in the air everywhere around us. Although we are relatively unaware of these contaminants in our everyday lives, most … Continued
I have talked about cavitation extensively in previous blogs. But what I have neglected to address through an omission on my part is the fact that all cavitation does not produce the effect needed to enhance cleaning – namely, the catastrophic collapse of the cavitation bubble in implosion. Before reading further, please take a minute … Continued
This discussion is a bit anecdotal in nature because my attempts to demonstrate the effects I describe in the following in the laboratory have been less than conclusive. But, the fact that I have seen them occur on several occasions over a period of more than 50 years gives it a degree of credence. By this time the … Continued
In 2010, a patent was issued to Kaijo Corporation (US 7,726,325) for a method to efficiently and rapidly “degas” liquids. In short, the process involves passing a liquid through a restriction such as the narrowing of a pipe at a sufficient velocity that rarefication downstream from the restriction (ala Bernoulli’s principle) creates negative pressure to draw … Continued
