Theoretical model of ice nucleation induced by inertial acoustic cavitation. Part 2: Number of ice nuclei generated by a single bubble

• The ice nuclei number generated by a single collapsing bubble was determined.
• The parameters of the model were function of liquid pressure and temperature.
• A wide range of temperature, acoustic pressure and bubble size was investigated.
• The optimal acoustic pressure and initial bubble radius values were determined.
• The temperature threshold was plotted versus bubble radius and acoustic pressure.

In the preceding paper (part 1), the pressure and temperature fields close to a bubble undergoing inertial acoustic cavitation were presented. It was shown that extremely high liquid water pressures but quite moderate temperatures were attained near the bubble wall just after the collapse providing the necessary conditions for ice nucleation. In this paper (part 2), the nucleation rate and the nuclei number generated by a single collapsing bubble were determined. The calculations were performed for different driving acoustic pressures, liquid ambient temperatures and bubble initial radius. An optimal acoustic pressure range and a nucleation temperature threshold as function of bubble radius were determined. The capability of moderate power ultrasound to trigger ice nucleation at low undercooling level and for a wide distribution of bubble sizes has thus been assessed on the theoretical ground.