Numerical Simulation of Acoustic Resonance and Streaming in Droplet Acoustofluidics

Abstract

This paper reports the phenomenon of resonance weakening and streaming onset in two phase acoustofluidics by performing numerical simulations of a capillary droplet suspended in a microfluidic chamber. The simulations show that depending on the relative acoustic properties of the two phases, it is possible to observe (i)~the decrease in the total acoustic energy as the oscillation amplitude at the wall increases, and (ii)~the onset of acoustic streaming. The impact of these findings in terms of acoustic focusing inside droplets is also discussed.