STUDY OF ULTRASONIC ATOMIZATION

M. Ajay1*, T. N. C. Anand 2
1
* Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, India, ajayrmech@gmail.com
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, India, anand@iitm.ac.in

Ultrasonic atomization has been attracting interest as a method of liquid atomization due to its advantage of electrical
controllability. In the present work, an experimental study is performed to improve the understanding of the
characteristics of ultrasonic atomization. A parametric analysis is performed to understand the effect of different
operating parameters such as the flow rate of the carrier gas (air) and the height of the liquid column over the
atomizer. The effect of liquid properties on the plume (jet) height and atomization rate is also studied. The unstable
surface waves, which are responsible for the droplet formation, are visualized by backlight technique using a CCD
camera with high magnification in order to get a good understanding of plume height, and the atomization rate is
determined with varying carrier gas flow rate. The flow pattern (streak imaging) in the liquid is also being analyzed
by introducing the particles in the medium. Results of the experiments indicate that the plume height for ethanol is
the highest among the liquids studied and the minimum plume height is for urea water solution. The plume height is
maximum for a liquid column height of 10 mm above the atomizer. The atomization rate for the liquids studied
shows that atomization rate is maximum for column height of 20 mm and the maximum atomization rate is achieved
where the plume height is lower.
Keywords: Ultrasonic Atomization, Plume Height, Urea Water Solution, Flow Pattern

1. INTRODUCTION
properties on, plume height, atomization rate and the flow pattern in
When a liquid is irradiated with ultrasound, a plume of the medium is also studied.
liquid is manifested at the liquid surface and fine liquid droplets are
generated due to the breakup of the liquid plume. Ultrasonic 2. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP AND
atomization was demonstrated by Wood and Loomis in the PROCEDURE
beginning of the 20th century [1] and has subsequently been studied
by several authors. However, the underlying mechanism is not The experimental test setup includes a glass chamber with
completely understood. In particular, there are conflicting theories a square cross section (200 x 200 x 300 mm dimensions). As shown
on the importance of the two mechanisms of surface capillary in Fig. 1, the inlet and the outlet sections (both 20 mm in diameter)
waves, [2–4], and hydrodynamic cavitation [5,6]. for the carrier gas (air) were at a height of 150 mm and 250 mm,
respectively. The bottom of the chamber was made of acrylic and
Ultrasonic atomization can be achieved either by having a suitably designed to mount the ultrasonic atomizer (Honda
flowing liquid on a stationary ultrasonic transducer or by means of a Electronics Co., Ltd. HM 2412) which has a diameter of 20 mm.
static liquid column over an ultrasonic transducer. In case of a static Fig. 1 shows the experimental setup for the determination of
liquid column, capillary waves are generated on the surface of the atomization rate for the liquids (Distilled water, Ethanol, and
liquid with the wavelength dependent upon the forcing frequency, UWS). A precision weighing balance (0.1 g accuracy) and a digital
liquid density, and surface tension at the liquid-air boundary. If the stop watch were used to calculate the atomization rate (on mass
fluid is forced to oscillate with sufficient intensity, the tips of basis). An air blower was used to remove the atomized mist
capillary waves begin to pinch off into droplets and atomization is produced during the process and the speed of the blower motor was
achieved, the resulting droplet size distributions are very narrow, varied to maintain two different flow rates. The time taken for a 4 g
and the droplet diameter is essentially controlled only by the reduction in weight of the liquid was noted down and an uncertainly
ultrasonic frequency, [7]. Hence, ultrasonic atomizing devices seem analysis was done for the noted readings.
attractive for various applications such as in humidifiers, medical
nebulizers, spray drying, and combustion.

In the field of engines, Sudong et al., [8] developed an

ultrasonic atomizer for an engine and concluded that the system
gives uniform droplet sizes, and small droplet sizes. Ultrasonic
atomizers have also been used for urea selective catalytic reduction
(SCR), for better atomization and smaller droplet size of injected
urea solution to allow a more complete conversion to ammonia to
reduce the NOX emission.

In the current study, experiments are done to understand

the effect of different operating parameters such as the flow rate of Fig. 1 Schematic of the test setup for atomization rate
the carrier gas (air), position of the carrier gas inlet and outlet, and
the initial height of the liquid column over the atomizer. The effect
of liquid (Distilled water, Ethanol, and Urea water solution) Figure 2 shows a schematic of the experimental setup
used to determine the plume height. An LED array (12 W) was used
as a light source and a CCD camera with a 105 mm focal length
lens was used to capture the images at 7 fps. A total of 120 images For the present experiments, the following atomization
were taken for each of the liquids for each column height. The scenario was observed. With a power input to the atomizer less than
captured images were post processed with a Matlab code for the 8 W, no atomization was produced, but a pattern of surface waves
determination of the average plume height generated over the free can be observed on the liquid air interface. As the power input to
surface for the liquids. the atomizer was increased to 12 W, the liquid assumed a conical
shape as shown in Fig. 4. The tip of the plume detached periodically
forming larger diameter droplets and ligaments which fall back due
to gravity. Sections of the plume also burst leading to a mist of
droplets.

The plume height was measured for various initial column

heights over the atomizer for the liquids mentioned as shown in the
Fig. 5.

Fig. 2 Schematic of the test setup for plume height

measurement

Figure 3 shows the setup for the flow visualization inside

the liquid medium during the course of atomization. Streak imaging
was used, for which the liquid was seeded with fluorescent
polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) particles of 3 microns in size. A
continuous laser of wavelength 532 nm (power = 1.25 W) was used
as a light source and a CCD camera was used to capture the images
at 7 fps. A plano convex lens (20 mm focal length) was used to
create a laser sheet passing through the center plane of the
ultrasonic atomizer.

Fig. 5 Plume height comparisons for different initial

column height and different liquid

It is observed that the plume height was highest for the

ethanol and least for the urea water solution (UWS). As seen from
Table 1, the density and surface tension of ethanol is much lower
than that of the other two liquids. This could be the reason for the
difference in plume height. Also, the plume height is least when the
Fig. 3 Schematic of the test setup for flow visualization atomization rate is maximum for all the liquids; this may be due to
the high instability due to the surface waves.

Table 1 gives the details of liquid properties

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Ultrasonic waves are produced in the fluid over the top of Viscosity Surface Tension Density
Liquid
the atomizer. These waves propagate through the fluid and produce (µ) Pa s (σ) mN/m (ρ) kg/m3
a liquid fountain and then the fountain breaks up in to droplets as Distilled Water 8.91e-04 72.8 997
shown in the Fig.4, which was captured by a CCD camera. Ethanol 7.17e-04 22.3 790
Urea Water Solution* 1.40 e-03 NA 1090
*Solla et .al, [15]

The variation of the atomization rate with initial column

height for the liquids is shown in Fig. 6; the atomization rate is
maximum for ethanol and minimum for the UWS. With changing
height, the atomization rate reaches a maximum and then decreases.
This may be due to low density and surface tension, and also high
vapor pressure of ethanol (5.95 kPa at 20oC) which promotes
evaporation of the liquid.

The effect of the height of carrier gas inlet and outlet were
studied for two different locations, and an inlet height of 150 mm
and outlet height of 200 mm from the atomizer surface were
selected for the remaining experiments. For a lower inlet height
(100 mm) the mist produced during atomization was splashing on
Fig. 4 Backlit image of the ultrasonic atomization of the inner wall of the chamber thus preventing it from being carried
distilled water (20 mm initial column height) out from the outlet, and for a high outlet (250 mm), large eddies of
the carrier gas are formed in the corner of the chamber which
promotes the adhesion of the mist on the inner walls of the chamber.

The influence of carrier gas flow rate on the atomization

rate was studied for two different flow rates (35±5 L/min and 75±8
L/min). As seen in Fig. 7, the atomization rate increased with
increase in the carrier gas flow rate, but it is also seen that beyond
certain flow rate of carrier gas, the atomization rate remains
constant.

(c)

Fig. 7 Atomization rate for different carrier gas flow rate

The flow inside the liquid column was visualized by

introducing particles inside the medium when excited by a voltage
of 8 V. At this condition, the liquid does not form the plume. The
voltage is slowly increased to 16 V and the plume starts developing
over the free surface. The particles were illuminated by a
continuous laser and images were acquired, for a distilled water
column at the height (20 mm initial height) at which the maximum
atomization rate was earlier achieved. Streak imaging was done to
Fig. 6 Atomization rate for liquids for different initial visualize the flow, before and after the plume formation as shown in
column height (gas flow rate 75±8 L/min) the Fig. 8.

(a)

(a)

(b)
(b)
Fig. 8 The flow pattern inside the medium before and
after the plume formation
 4. CONCLUSIONS 11. Lazona, A., Amaveda, H., Barreras, F., Jorda, X., and Lazano,
M., High-Frequency Ultrasonic Atomization with Pulsed
This paper presents an experimental study of ultrasonic atomization Excitation, Journal of Fluid Engineering, Vol. 125, pp. 941-945,
for different liquids for various parameters. The atomization rate of 2003.
ethanol was found to be highest for the liquids studied and 12. Yoshiyuki, B., Soyoko, Y., Kazuyoshi, D., Massaki, N., Keiji,
minimum for UWS. The plume height was found to be highest for Y., Akiyoshi, O., and Yosuhito, K., The Effect of Operational
ethanol, and the atomization rate was observed to increase with an Condition on the Contribution of Evaporation in Ultrasonic
increase in the carrier gas flow rate. Also, an initial investigation on Atomization, Journal of Chemical Engineering of Japan, Vol.
the flow pattern in the liquid medium was studied. 37, (10), pp. 1286-1289, 2004.
13. Barreras, F., Amaveda, H., Lozano, A., Transient High
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Frequency Ultrasonic Water Atomization, Experiments in
Fluids, Vol. 33, pp. 405-413, 2002.
The authors wish to thank Dr. Dhiman Chatterjee and Dr. Shamit 14. Keiji, Y., Hiroyuki, H., Zheng, X., Yoshiyuki, A., and Shinobu
Bakshi for their valuable inputs in developing the test setup and also K., Ultrasonic Atomization Amount for Different Frequencies,
during the course of experimentation. Financial assistance from Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 50, pp. 07HE23-1 -
DST through the SERB Fast Track Scheme for Young Scientists is 07HE23-5, 2011.
gratefully acknowledged. 15. Solla, A., Westerholm, M., Soderstrom, C., Tormonen, K.,
Harma, T., Nissinen, T., and Kukonnen, J., Effect of
NOMENCLATURE Ammonium Formate and Mixtures of Urea and Ammonium
Formate on Low Temperature Activity of SCR Systems, SAE
UWS Urea Water Solution Technical Paper Series, 2005-01-1856.
CCD Charge Coupled Device
PMMA Poly Methyl Meth Acrylate
SCR Selective Catalytic Reduction
NOX Nitric oxide and Nitrogen dioxide

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