Complex Dynamics of an Acoustically Levitated Fluid Droplet Captured by a Low-Order Immersed Boundary Method

Abstract

We present a novel immersed boundary method that implements acoustic perturbation theory to model an acoustically levitated droplet. Instead of resolving sound waves numerically, our hybrid method solves acoustic scattering semi-analytically and models the corresponding time-averaged acoustic forces on the droplet. This framework allows the droplet to be simulated on inertial timescales of interest, and thereby admit a much larger time resolution than traditional compressible flow solvers. To benchmark this technique and demonstrate its utility, we implement the hybrid IBM for a single droplet in a standing wave. Simulated droplet shape deformations and streaming profile agree with theoretical predictions. Our simulations also yield new insights on the streaming profiles for elliptical droplets, for which a comprehensive analytic solution does not exist.