Acoustic‐driven surface cleaning with millimeter‐sized bubbles at translational resonance
- 1Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering Cornell University Ithaca New York USA
Abstract
Traditional surface cleaning methods often suffer from drawbacks such as chemical harshness, potential for surface damage, and high‐energy consumption. This study investigates an alternative approach: acoustic‐driven surface cleaning using millimeter‐sized bubbles excited at low, sub‐cavitation frequencies. We identify and characterize a distinct translational resonance of these bubbles, occurring at significantly lower frequencies (e.g., 50 Hz for 1.3 mm diameter bubbles) than the Minnaert resonance for a bubble of the same size. At this translational resonance, stationary bubbles exhibit amplified lateral swaying, while bubbles sliding on an inclined surface display pronounced “stop‐and‐go” dynamics. The theoretical model treats the bubble as a forced, damped harmonic oscillator. In this framework, surface tension supplies the restoring force, while the inertia is governed primarily by the hydrodynamic added mass of the surrounding fluid. It accurately predicts the observed resonant frequency scaling with bubble equilibrium radius R0 (∝R0−3/2). Cleaning efficacy, assessed using protein‐based artificial soil on glass slides, was significantly improved when bubbles were driven at their translational resonant frequency compared to off‐resonant frequencies or nonacoustic conditions. These findings demonstrate that leveraging translational resonance enhances bubble‐induced shear and agitation, offering an effective and sustainable mechanism for surface cleaning.
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BibTeX
@article{lin2026acousticdriven,
title = {{Acoustic‐driven surface cleaning with millimeter‐sized bubbles at translational resonance}},
author = {Yan Jun Lin and Zhengyang Liu and Sunghwan Jung},
journal = {Droplet},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/dro2.70055},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/dro2.70055},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Acoustic‐driven surface cleaning with millimeter‐sized bubbles at translational resonance
AU - Yan Jun Lin
AU - Zhengyang Liu
AU - Sunghwan Jung
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - Droplet
DO - 10.1002/dro2.70055
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/dro2.70055
AB - Traditional surface cleaning methods often suffer from drawbacks such as chemical harshness, potential for surface damage, and high‐energy consumption. This study investigates an alternative approach: acoustic‐driven surface cleaning using millimeter‐sized bubbles excited at low, sub‐cavitation frequencies. We identify and characterize a distinct translational resonance of these bubbles, occurring at significantly lower frequencies (e.g., 50 Hz for 1.3 mm diameter bubbles) than the Minnaert resonance for a bubble of the same size. At this translational resonance, stationary bubbles exhibit amplified lateral swaying, while bubbles sliding on an inclined surface display pronounced “stop‐and‐go” dynamics. The theoretical model treats the bubble as a forced, damped harmonic oscillator. In this framework, surface tension supplies the restoring force, while the inertia is governed primarily by the hydrodynamic added mass of the surrounding fluid. It accurately predicts the observed resonant frequency scaling with bubble equilibrium radius R0 (∝R0−3/2). Cleaning efficacy, assessed using protein‐based artificial soil on glass slides, was significantly improved when bubbles were driven at their translational resonant frequency compared to off‐resonant frequencies or nonacoustic conditions. These findings demonstrate that leveraging translational resonance enhances bubble‐induced shear and agitation, offering an effective and sustainable mechanism for surface cleaning.
SN - 2731-4375
SN - 2769-2159
ER -