Power ultrasonic transducers with extensive radiators for industrial processing.

High-power ultrasonics (HPU) is a green emerging technology that offers a great potential for a wide range of industrial processes. Nevertheless such potential have remained restricted during many years to a limited number of applications which reached commercial development. The possible major problem for extending the range of HPU industrial applications has been the lack of power ultrasonic transducers for large-scale application, adapted to the requirements of each specific problem with high efficiency and power capacity.

High-power ultrasonic system for the enhancement of mass transfer in supercritical CO2 extraction processes.

Oil is an important component of almonds and other vegetable substrates that can show an influence on human health. In this work the development and validation of an innovative, robust, stable, reliable and efficient ultrasonic system at pilot scale to assist supercritical CO(2) extraction of oils from different substrates is presented. In the extraction procedure ultrasonic energy represents an efficient way of producing deep agitation enhancing mass transfer processes because of some mechanisms (radiation pressure, streaming, agitation, high amplitude vibrations, etc.

Ultrasonic system for continuous washing of textiles in liquid layers.

The use of ultrasonic energy for washing of textiles has been tried several times without achieving practical development. In fact, the softness of the fibres makes the cavitation to produce small erosion effect and the reticulate structure of the fabric favours the formation of air bubble layers which obstruct wave penetration. In addition, a high proportion of water with respect to the wash load and a certain water degassing is required to assure efficiency and homogeneity in the wash performance.

Food drying process by power ultrasound.

Drying processes, which have a great significance in the food industry, are frequently based on the use of thermal energy. Nevertheless, such methods may produce structural changes in the products. Consequently, a great emphasis is presently given to novel treatments where the quality will be preserved.

A procedure for the efficient selection of piezoelectric ceramics constituting high-power ultrasonic transducers.

The most characteristic narrow-band transducer structure for high-power ultrasonic applications is the well known piezoelectric sandwich which is reminiscent of the Langevin transducer. Such structure is generally used jointly with other components in the construction of industrial high-power transducers. One of the main objectives in the design and construction of such high-power transducers is to minimize energy losses.