Experimental investigation and numerical analysis on acoustic levitation

A single-axis acoustic levitator driven by a magnetostrictive ultrasonic tr ansducer was developed, which can stably levitate metallic, semiconducting and organic materials as dense as 11.3 g/cm(3) in ground-based laboratory. Two types of resonant chambers were investigated by using boundary element approach in order to well understand the effect of chamber geometry on the sound field and, more importantly, on the capability and stability of acous tic levitation. The calculated results and experimental research indicate t hat the chamber possessing both a planar and a conical reflecting surface c an produce radial positioning forces at the lowest mode. This makes its pos itioning capability larger than that of the chamber with only a planar refl ecting surface.