Study on Holding Force to a Droplet Levitated by the Acoustic Standing Wave

Abstract

It is expected to manufacture new materials under the micro-gravity environment in space. Under the micro-gravity environment, holding technology of molten metal is important to manufacture new materials. There are previous studies about droplet levitation by the acoustic wave for the holding technology. However it is still unknown experimentally and analytically how the acoustic wave act on the levitated droplet. In the present study, the technology to handle the material in space by the ultrasonic wave is developed and the simulation technique to evaluate the acoustic wave field and the movement of the droplet in the acoustic field. Therefore the followings are the purposes of present study. At first, the characteristics of droplets holding by the ultrasonic standing wave under normal gravity environment and micro-gravity environment is investigated. Secondary, numerical simulation is conducted to clarity the characteristics of ultrasonic standing wave. Finally, the force committed to a droplet is investigated by reproducing a movement of the droplet.