Mechanic of Advanced and Smart Materials
Quarterly

The Effect Of Initial Release Point On Particle Motion In Acoustic Levitation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohammadreza sheykholeslami Borghani 1
Zahra Heydari 2
Davood Dehghani 3
Hamid Abdi 4

1 Department of mechanical engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak, Iran

2 Manufacturing department, Engineering faculty,,Arak University, Arak, Iran

3 Arak University

4 Senior member of IEEE, School of Engineering, Deakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, Australia

10.66224/masm.5.2.171.
Abstract
Ultrasonic levitation, as an advanced non-contact particle manipulation technology, has gained prominence in modern research due to its independence from material physical properties and extensive applications in fields such as pharmaceuticals, microelectronics, and sonochemistry. However, optimal utilization of this technology requires a deep insight into parameters affecting particle stability and dynamics. In this study, the impact of initial particle release position—a less-explored key factor—on the dynamic behavior of particles levitated in an ultrasonic levitation system was investigated. Acoustic pressure at 20 kHz was modeled using Multiphysics simulation in COMSOL software, and the behavior of 20 polypropylene particles (diameter: 3 mm, density: 910 kg/m³) at various initial positions (ranging from 0.23 to 8.01) was analyzed. Drag forces, acoustic pressure forces, and gravitational forces were considered effective forces. Results revealed that particles released near pressure nodes exhibited the lowest oscillation amplitude and shortest stabilization time. As the initial release distance from pressure nodes increased, both oscillation amplitude and stabilization time increased. This factor’s influence on stabilization time was more pronounced near the reflector than near the transducer, indicating that particles released close to the reflector achieve a more stable levitated state compared to those released close to the transducer. Experimental validation showed significant agreement with simulation results.

Keywords

Ultrasonic levitation
Initial release position
Particle movement
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Mechanic of Advanced and Smart Materials
Volume 5, Issue 2
Summer 2025
Pages 171-189

  • Receive Date 06 July 2025
  • Revise Date 12 August 2025
  • Accept Date 25 August 2025

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