Characterization of the activity of ultrasound emitted in a perpendicular liquid flow using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and electrochemical mass transfer measurements

• Interaction between acoustic wave propagation and perpendicular liquid flow.
• Complementary electrochemical mass transfer and PIV measurements.
• Increase of the streaming with the liquid’s viscosity.
• Ultrasound contribution noticeable with highly distorted hydrodynamics.

The present work is dedicated to the study of the interactions between a liquid circulation and a perpendicular acoustic wave propagation. A specific experimental setup was designed to study one transducer operating at 20 kHz, with the help of electrochemical mass transfer measurements combined with Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) determination. Electrodes were located on the wall opposite to the acoustic emission. Experiments were performed for various Reynolds numbers: from 0 to 21700 (different liquid flow rates and viscosities). Both PIV and electrochemical measurements methods were found to be relevant, and had delivered complementary information. Even if PIV showed that the plume due to streaming was highly deflected by the additional flow, electrochemical measurements showed that there was still an activity, higher than in silent conditions, on the wall facing the transducer. Thus the ultrasound contribution remained noticeable on the surface opposite to the transducer even for a disturbed hydrodynamic environment due to the presence of a liquid circulation perpendicular to the wave propagation.