Measurement and modeling of surface erosion in acoustic cavitation

The project deals with the modeling of acoustic waves, the resulting cavitation bubbles and their interaction, both with each other and with the surrounding liquid. Acoustic cavitation is used in chemical and mechanical process engineering (sonochemistry), e.g. for the recovery of valuable metals, where surface erosion by cavitation plays the decisive role. The numerical methods currently used are not capable of satisfactorily mapping the complex mechanisms involved. The aim of the project is to be able to better predict the propagation and effect of acoustic cavitation through the combined use of innovative numerical methods and modern measurement methods. The focus is on the development of a model for predicting surface erosion. The experimental part is carried out by the project partner, the III. Physics Institute of the Georg-August-University Göttingen.