Quantitative analysis of temperature dependent acoustic trapping characteristics by using concentric annular type dual element ultrasonic transducer

The estimated speeds of sound in water and droplets are 1484.8 m/s and 1431.6 m/s at 20 °C, while 1506.0 m/s and 1400.6 m/s at 30 °C, respectively. As the temperature rises, the sound speed in droplets decreases at an average rate of 3.1 m/s/°C, and the speed in water increases at 2.1 m/s/°C. The average displacement varies from 150.0 μm to 179.0 μm with an increasing rate of 2.9 μm/°C, and its standard deviation is obtained between 1.0 μm and 2.0 μm over the same temperature range. Reduced sound speed as a function of rising temperature results in increased displacement, indicating that the trapping strength is adjustable by regulating ambient temperature in water as well as by changing transducer excitation parameters. Therefore, the results suggest that the temperature dependence of this trapping technique can be exploited for developing a remote manipulation tool of micron-sized particles in a thermally fluctuating environment. It is also shown that any deviated trapping strength caused by thermal disturbance near the trap can be restored to its desired level by compensating either temperature difference or trapping system condition.