Cavity cluster approach for quantification of cavitational intensity in sonochemical reactors

The mechanism involved in the spectacular effects from cavitation phenomenon is very complex and there have been several proposed theories to explain the observed results. The experimental as well as the visual observations indicate that a single collapsing cavity is also influenced by the dynamics of the surrounding cavities, which are very near to the collapsing cavity. The observed effects and erosion pattern's cannot be explained properly on the basis of a single cavity collapse and hence in this study a cavity cluster (group of cavities) has been considered to understand the mechanism of cavitational effects. The effect of intensity, frequency of ultrasound, initial size of the cluster and the fraction of energy transferred from the collapsing cavities to the surrounding cavities on the cavitational intensity quantified in terms of the pressure pulse generated at the collapse of cavities as well as the active zone of cavitation has been investigated using bubble/cavity dynamics equations, numerically. On the basis of the trends obtained, empirical correlations estimating the collapse pressure and active volume of cavitation, have been developed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.