Ultrasonic cleaning device and ultrasonic cleaning method

Abstract

The present invention discloses an ultrasonic cleaning device and an ultrasonic cleaning method. The ultrasonic cleaning device of the present invention includes a cleaning tank, a first ultrasonic transducer, a second ultrasonic transducer and a first signal regulator. The cleaning tank is used to accommodate a cleaning solution with microbubbles. The first ultrasonic transducer can emit a first ultrasonic wave with a frequency range of 0.1MHz-50MHz toward the object to be cleaned. Multiple first ultrasonic waves are superimposed on each other to form a gradient sound field. The microbubbles can be guided to move to a predetermined position by adjusting the position change of the maximum and / or minimum values ​​of the gradient sound field. The second ultrasonic transducer can emit a second ultrasonic wave with a frequency range of 2KHz-1000KHz toward the object to be cleaned, and the second ultrasonic wave can stimulate the microbubble to rupture. Through this ultrasonic cleaning device guided by the gradient sound field and with fixed-point blasting, high-precision cleaning of a set area under a microstructure can be achieved, which greatly improves the cleaning efficiency and cleaning quality of the microstructure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of ultrasonic cleaning, and in particular to an ultrasonic cleaning device and an ultrasonic cleaning method. Background Art

[0002] In traditional technology, the cleaning methods commonly used for macroscopic attachments are usually wiping cleaning, steam cleaning or laser cleaning, etc. Ultrasonic cleaning has been increasingly used in industry due to its good applicability, wide cleaning range and green and pollution-free nature.

[0003] The current ultrasonic cleaning technology mainly uses tens of kilohertz ultrasound to irregularly generate microbubbles in water or other solvents, and stimulates the microbubble explosion to form acoustic cavitation, microjet and other effects. When the microbubbles near the object to be cleaned burst, the impact force generated by the microbubble rupture causes the surface contaminants of the object to be cleaned to separate. Therefore, ultrasonic cleaning technology is particularly suitable for cleaning the surface of macro-scale devices that can directly contact microbubbles.

[0004] In the prior art, for microstructures such as microtubes in medical equipment, optical glass tubes, and slits in chips, the pollutant particles deposited on these devices will seriously damage the function and stability of the devices. Since the scale of the objects to be cleaned has been reduced to the millimeter, micron, or even submicron level, the disordered explosion of microbubbles leads to low cleaning efficiency of the attached pollutants on the objects to be cleaned. Long-term ultrasonic cleaning can easily lead to the loss of precision of precision devices, so such precision devices are difficult to clean using current ultrasonic cleaning equipment. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides an ultrasonic cleaning device that can realize controllable explosion of microbubbles at a predetermined position.

[0006] An ultrasonic cleaning device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises:

[0007] A cleaning tank, used for containing a cleaning liquid having microbubbles;

[0008] A plurality of first ultrasonic transducers, the plurality of first ultrasonic transducers act on the cleaning liquid to respectively emit first ultrasonic waves toward the object to be cleaned, the frequency range of the first ultrasonic waves being 0.1 MHz-50 MHz; a second ultrasonic transducer, the second ultrasonic transducer acts on the cleaning liquid to emit second ultrasonic waves toward the object to be cleaned, the frequency range of the second ultrasonic waves being 2 KHz-1000 KHz;

[0009] a first signal regulator, connected in communication with each of the first ultrasonic transducers to regulate the output of each of the first ultrasonic transducers;

[0010] Among them, the superposition of multiple first ultrasonic waves can form a gradient sound field, and the first signal controller can move the microbubble to a predetermined position by regulating the position of the maximum and / or minimum of the gradient sound field; the second ultrasonic wave can cause the microbubble to rupture.

[0011] The ultrasonic cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: the ultrasonic cleaning device of the embodiment of the first aspect drives the first ultrasonic transducer to generate the first ultrasonic wave through the first signal regulator, thereby generating a gradient sound field in the cleaning tank, and by regulating the position of the maximum and / or minimum of the gradient sound field, the microbubbles can be controlled to move to a predetermined position, and then the second ultrasonic transducer is used to emit low-frequency power ultrasonic waves to blast the microbubbles, generate microjets and microacoustic flows to drive the attached pollutants to detach from the object to be cleaned. Especially for microstructures such as microtubes, microslits, and microcavities, through this ultrasonic cleaning device guided by the gradient sound field and with fixed-point blasting, high-precision cleaning of the set area under the microstructure can be achieved, greatly improving the cleaning efficiency and cleaning quality of the microstructure.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first ultrasonic transducer is located in the cleaning tank and is configured to: be able to transmit the first ultrasonic wave through the cleaning liquid;

[0013] Alternatively, the first ultrasonic transducer is located outside the cleaning tank and is arranged in close contact with the cleaning tank, and is configured to be able to transmit the first ultrasonic wave through the cleaning tank and the cleaning liquid.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the second ultrasonic transducer is configured as follows: the second ultrasonic transducer is located in the cleaning tank and is capable of transmitting the second ultrasonic wave through the cleaning liquid;

[0015] Alternatively, the second ultrasonic transducer is located outside the cleaning tank and is arranged in close contact with the cleaning tank, and can transmit the second ultrasonic wave through the cleaning tank and the cleaning liquid.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first signal regulator is capable of regulating the frequency, phase and / or intensity of the gradient sound field to change the position of the maximum value and / or minimum value of the gradient sound field.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the ultrasonic cleaning device further includes a second signal regulator, and the second signal regulator is communicatively connected to the second ultrasonic transducer to regulate the frequency and / or intensity of the second ultrasonic wave.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the object to be cleaned has an inner cavity, and the ultrasonic cleaning device further includes a low-pressure peristaltic pump, and the low-pressure peristaltic pump is used to transport the cleaning liquid into the inner cavity.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the ultrasonic cleaning device further comprises a microbubble generator, which can act on the cleaning liquid to generate the microbubbles used for ultrasonic cleaning.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the microbubble generator is capable of controlling the average particle size of the microbubbles.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the ultrasonic cleaning device further includes a position adjustment mechanism, which is disposed in the cleaning tank and connected to the object to be cleaned, and can adjust the relative position of the object to be cleaned and the first ultrasonic transducer.

[0022] Based on the ultrasonic cleaning device of the first embodiment, the present invention further proposes an ultrasonic cleaning method, comprising the following steps:

[0023] Prepare an ultrasonic cleaning device as described in any one of the embodiments of the first aspect;

[0024] placing the object to be cleaned into the cleaning tank, and injecting the cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank so that the object to be cleaned is immersed in the cleaning liquid;

[0025] controlling each of the first ultrasonic transducers to emit the first ultrasonic wave to form the gradient sound field in the cleaning tank;

[0026] The signal controller controls the position of the maximum value and / or the minimum value of the gradient acoustic field, so that the microbubble is driven by the acoustic radiation force to move to the predetermined position;

[0027] The second ultrasonic transducer is controlled to emit the second ultrasonic wave to stimulate the microbubble to burst.

[0028] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the following steps are also included:

[0029] The predetermined position and / or the frequency, initial phase and / or intensity of the first ultrasonic wave are determined according to the size, shape and / or material of the object to be cleaned.

[0030] An ultrasonic cleaning device according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises:

[0031] A cleaning tank, used for containing a cleaning liquid having microbubbles;

[0032] A plurality of third ultrasonic transducers, wherein the plurality of third ultrasonic transducers act on the cleaning liquid to respectively emit ultrasonic waves toward the object to be cleaned;

[0033] a signal regulator, connected in communication with the third ultrasonic transducer to regulate the output of the third ultrasonic transducer;

[0034] Wherein, the ultrasonic wave includes a first ultrasonic wave, the frequency range of the first ultrasonic wave is 0.1MHz-50MHz, and multiple first ultrasonic waves superimposed on each other can form a gradient sound field, and the signal controller can move the microbubble to a predetermined position by regulating the position of the maximum and / or minimum of the gradient sound field; and, under the regulation of the signal controller, at least one of the third ultrasonic transducers can emit a second ultrasonic wave that causes the microbubble to rupture, and the frequency range of the second ultrasonic wave is 2KHz-1000KHz.

[0035] The ultrasonic cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: the ultrasonic cleaning device of the second embodiment can emit a first ultrasonic wave for regulating the movement of microbubbles and a second ultrasonic wave for stimulating the rupture of microbubbles by using a wide-band third ultrasonic transducer, without the need to additionally set up a second ultrasonic transducer for stimulating the rupture of microbubbles. Under the premise of realizing the functions of gradient sound field guidance and fixed-point blasting, the structure of the ultrasonic cleaning device is simpler.

[0036] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the third ultrasonic transducer is located in the cleaning tank and is configured to: be able to transmit the ultrasonic wave through the cleaning liquid;

[0037] Alternatively, the third ultrasonic transducer is located outside the cleaning tank and is arranged in close contact with the cleaning tank, and is configured to be able to transmit the ultrasonic wave through the tank wall of the cleaning tank and the cleaning liquid.

[0038] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the signal controller is capable of regulating the frequency, phase and / or intensity of the gradient sound field to change the position of the maximum value and / or minimum value of the gradient sound field.

[0039] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the object to be cleaned has an inner cavity, and the ultrasonic cleaning device further includes a low-pressure peristaltic pump, and the low-pressure peristaltic pump is used to transport the cleaning liquid into the inner cavity.

[0040] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the ultrasonic cleaning device further comprises a microbubble generator, which can act on the cleaning liquid to generate the microbubbles used for ultrasonic cleaning.

[0041] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the microbubble generator is capable of controlling the average particle size of the microbubbles.

[0042] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the ultrasonic cleaning device further includes a position adjustment mechanism, which is disposed in the cleaning tank and connected to the object to be cleaned, and can adjust the relative position of the object to be cleaned and the third ultrasonic transducer.

[0043] Based on the ultrasonic cleaning device of the second embodiment, the present invention also proposes an ultrasonic cleaning method, comprising the following steps:

[0044] placing the object to be cleaned into the cleaning tank, and injecting the cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank so that the object to be cleaned is immersed in the cleaning liquid;

[0045] Controlling each of the third ultrasonic transducers to emit the first ultrasonic wave to form the gradient sound field in the cleaning tank;

[0046] The signal controller controls the position of the maximum value and / or the minimum value of the gradient acoustic field, so that the microbubble is driven by the acoustic radiation force to move to the predetermined position;

[0047] The signal controller controls at least one of the third ultrasonic transducers to emit the second ultrasonic wave to stimulate the microbubble to burst.

[0048] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the following steps are also included:

[0049] The predetermined position and / or the frequency, initial phase and / or intensity of the first ultrasonic wave are determined according to the size, shape and / or material of the object to be cleaned.

[0050] An ultrasonic cleaning device according to a third aspect of the present invention comprises:

[0051] A cleaning tank, used for containing a cleaning liquid having microbubbles;

[0052] A first ultrasonic transducer, the first ultrasonic transducer acts on the cleaning liquid to emit a first ultrasonic wave toward the object to be cleaned, and the frequency range of the first ultrasonic wave is 0.1 MHz-50 MHz;

[0053] a second ultrasonic transducer, the second ultrasonic transducer acting on the cleaning liquid to emit a second ultrasonic wave toward the object to be cleaned, the frequency range of the second ultrasonic wave being 2 kHz-1000 kHz;

[0054] The object to be cleaned has a resonance state, and the first ultrasonic wave can excite the resonance state so that the microbubbles move toward the object to be cleaned to a predetermined position; and the second ultrasonic wave can cause the microbubbles to burst.

[0055] The ultrasonic cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: since the resonant frequency is the natural frequency of the object, the resonant frequency of the object to be cleaned can be measured by a resonant frequency detector, and the output frequency of the first ultrasonic transducer is fixed to a value equal to the resonant frequency. In large-scale cleaning operations, there is no need to adjust the output frequency of the first ultrasonic transducer, and ultrasonic cleaning of the same batch of objects to be cleaned with the same size, material, structure, etc. can be achieved. The device is particularly suitable for cleaning operations on large-scale objects to be cleaned with the same specifications in industrial production.

[0056] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first ultrasonic transducer is located in the cleaning tank and is configured to: be able to transmit the first ultrasonic wave through the cleaning liquid;

[0057] Alternatively, the first ultrasonic transducer is located outside the cleaning tank and is arranged in close contact with the cleaning tank, and is configured to be able to transmit the first ultrasonic wave through the cleaning tank and the cleaning liquid.

[0058] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the second ultrasonic transducer is configured as follows: the second ultrasonic transducer is located in the cleaning tank and is capable of transmitting the second ultrasonic wave through the cleaning liquid;

[0059] Alternatively, the second ultrasonic transducer is located outside the cleaning tank and is arranged in close contact with the cleaning tank, and can transmit the second ultrasonic wave through the cleaning tank and the cleaning liquid.

[0060] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the ultrasonic cleaning device further includes a first signal regulator, which is communicatively connected to the first ultrasonic transducer to regulate the frequency of the first ultrasonic wave.

[0061] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the ultrasonic cleaning device further includes a second signal regulator, and the second signal regulator is communicatively connected to the second ultrasonic transducer to regulate the frequency and / or intensity of the second ultrasonic wave.

[0062] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the object to be cleaned has an inner cavity, and the ultrasonic cleaning device further includes a low-pressure peristaltic pump, and the low-pressure peristaltic pump is used to transport the cleaning liquid into the inner cavity.

[0063] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the ultrasonic cleaning device further comprises a microbubble generator, which can act on the cleaning liquid to generate the microbubbles used for ultrasonic cleaning.

[0064] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the microbubble generator is capable of controlling the average particle size of the microbubbles.

[0065] Based on the ultrasonic cleaning device of the third embodiment, the present invention also proposes an ultrasonic cleaning method, comprising the following steps:

[0066] Prepare an ultrasonic cleaning device as described in any one of the embodiments of the third aspect;

[0067] placing the object to be cleaned into the cleaning tank, and injecting the cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank so that the object to be cleaned is immersed in the cleaning liquid;

[0068] controlling the first ultrasonic transducer to emit the first ultrasonic wave to excite the resonance state of the object to be cleaned, so that the microbubbles can move toward the object to be cleaned to the predetermined position;

[0069] The second ultrasonic transducer is controlled to emit the second ultrasonic wave to stimulate the microbubble to burst.

[0070] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the following steps are also included:

[0071] The predetermined position and / or the frequency of the first ultrasonic wave are determined according to the size, shape and / or material of the object to be cleaned.

[0072] An ultrasonic cleaning device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention comprises:

[0073] A cleaning tank, used for containing a cleaning liquid having microbubbles;

[0074] a third ultrasonic transducer, the third ultrasonic transducer acting on the cleaning liquid to emit ultrasonic waves toward the object to be cleaned;

[0075] a signal regulator, connected in communication with the third ultrasonic transducer to regulate the output frequency of the third ultrasonic transducer;

[0076] The object to be cleaned has a resonance state, and the ultrasonic wave includes a first ultrasonic wave for exciting the resonance state so that the microbubbles move toward the object to be cleaned to a predetermined position, and the frequency range of the first ultrasonic wave is 0.1 MHz-50 MHz; and, under the control of the signal controller, the third ultrasonic transducer can also emit a second ultrasonic wave for bursting the microbubbles, and the frequency range of the second ultrasonic wave is 2 KHz-1000 KHz.

[0077] The ultrasonic cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: in the embodiment of the fourth aspect, the ultrasonic cleaning device has only one third ultrasonic transducer, which can emit a first ultrasonic wave that excites the resonance state of the object to be cleaned, and can also emit a second ultrasonic wave that excites the microbubble rupture. The ultrasonic cleaning structure is extremely streamlined, low in cost, and relatively simple in structure. It is suitable for industrial large-scale cleaning operations of objects to be cleaned of the same size. The degree of automation of cleaning is high, and the cleaning efficiency and cleaning effect of the microstructure can be greatly improved.

[0078] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the third ultrasonic transducer is located in the cleaning tank and is configured to: be able to transmit ultrasonic waves through the cleaning fluid;

[0079] Alternatively, the third ultrasonic transducer is located outside the cleaning tank and is arranged in close contact with the cleaning tank, and is configured to transmit ultrasonic waves through the tank wall of the cleaning tank and the cleaning liquid.

[0080] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the signal controller is capable of regulating the frequency and / or intensity of the first ultrasonic wave, and / or the signal controller is capable of regulating the frequency and / or intensity of the second ultrasonic wave.

[0081] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the object to be cleaned has an inner cavity, and the ultrasonic cleaning device further includes a low-pressure peristaltic pump, and the low-pressure peristaltic pump is used to transport the cleaning liquid into the inner cavity.

[0082] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the ultrasonic cleaning device further comprises a microbubble generator, which can act on the cleaning liquid to generate the microbubbles used for ultrasonic cleaning.

[0083] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the microbubble generator is capable of controlling the average particle size of the microbubbles.

[0084] Based on the ultrasonic cleaning device of the fourth aspect of the embodiment, the present invention also proposes an ultrasonic cleaning method, comprising the following steps:

[0085] Prepare an ultrasonic cleaning device as described in any one of the embodiments of the fourth aspect;

[0086] placing the object to be cleaned into the cleaning tank, and injecting the cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank so that the object to be cleaned is immersed in the cleaning liquid;

[0087] controlling the third ultrasonic transducer to emit the first ultrasonic wave to excite the resonance state of the object to be cleaned, so that the microbubbles can move toward the object to be cleaned to the predetermined position;

[0088] The third ultrasonic transducer is controlled to emit the second ultrasonic wave to stimulate the microbubble to burst.

[0089] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the following steps are also included:

[0090] The predetermined position and / or the frequency of the first ultrasonic wave are determined according to the size, shape and / or material of the object to be cleaned.

[0091] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0092] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0093] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an ultrasonic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention;

[0094] Figure 2 is a graph of microbubble movement distance and standing wave phase according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0095] Figure 3 It is a flow chart of an ultrasonic cleaning method of an ultrasonic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention;

[0096] Figure 4 A simulation diagram of the standing wave sound field amplitude distribution according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0097] Figure 5 This is an experimental diagram of the microbubble stationary position according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0098] Figure 6 A comparison diagram of the microcavity in an embodiment of the present invention before and after ultrasonic cleaning;

[0099] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of an ultrasonic cleaning device according to a second aspect of the present invention;

[0100] Figure 8 A flow chart of an ultrasonic cleaning method of an ultrasonic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention;

[0101] Fig. 9 It is a simulation diagram of the sound field amplitude distribution when the object to be cleaned is in a resonance state in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0102] Fig.10 It is a schematic structural diagram of an ultrasonic cleaning device according to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0103] Fig.11It is a flow chart of an ultrasonic cleaning method of an ultrasonic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention;

[0104] Fig.12 It is a schematic structural diagram of an ultrasonic cleaning device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention;

[0105] Fig.13 This is a flow chart of an ultrasonic cleaning method for an ultrasonic cleaning device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0106] Reference numerals:

[0107] A first ultrasonic transducer 100 , a second ultrasonic transducer 200 , an object to be cleaned 300 , a microchannel 310 , and a third ultrasonic transducer 400 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0108] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0109] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientations, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., and orientations or positional relationships indicated are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0110] In the description of the present invention, "several" means more than one, "many" means more than two, "greater than", "less than", "exceed", etc. are understood to exclude the number itself, and "above", "below", "within", etc. are understood to include the number itself. If there is a description of "first" or "second", it is only used for the purpose of distinguishing the technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0111] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, connecting, etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0112] In the description of the present invention, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0113] Sound waves can carry momentum and energy. Objects in the sound field will exchange momentum and energy with the sound field due to the effects of absorption, scattering and refraction of sound waves, so that the objects are affected by the acoustic radiation force. The acoustic radiation force manipulation of particles has the characteristics of non-contact and non-destructive, and the manipulated particles do not need to be physically or chemically modified. At the same time, its working device is simple, easy to integrate and miniaturize. Therefore, in order to achieve the cleaning of microstructures such as microcavities, microchannels, and microslits, so that the microbubbles in the cleaning liquid regularly explode on the surface of the object to be cleaned or in the area near the surface, the first embodiment of the present application proposes an ultrasonic cleaning device, which manipulates the microbubbles in the cleaning liquid through the acoustic radiation force effect of the sound field, so that the microbubbles move to a predetermined position and then explode.

[0114] It should be noted that there is a difference in sound intensity at different positions of a gradient sound field, such as a standing wave sound field and a focused sound field. Microbubbles in the gradient sound field have a tendency to move to the maximum and / or minimum of the gradient sound field under the action of the sound radiation force. Therefore, by adjusting the position of the maximum and / or minimum of the gradient sound field, the movement direction of the microbubbles can be adjusted to move the microbubbles to a predetermined position. In a focused sound field, the maximum of its sound field intensity is located at its focus, and the movement of the microbubbles can be guided by controlling the position of its focus; in a standing wave sound field, the maximum of its sound field intensity is at the antinode of the standing wave, and the minimum of the sound field intensity appears at the node of the standing wave. Due to the influence of its own characteristics, the microbubbles will stay at the antinode or node of the standing wave, and then the antinode and node positions of the standing wave can be changed by adjusting the phase of the standing wave to control the movement of the microbubbles.

[0115] Specifically, Figure 1As shown, the ultrasonic cleaning device includes a cleaning tank (not shown in the figure), a first ultrasonic transducer 100, a second ultrasonic transducer 200 and a first signal regulator (not shown in the figure). The cleaning tank is used to accommodate a cleaning solution with microbubbles and an object to be cleaned 300. Compared with the prior art of directly exciting the generation of microbubbles in the cleaning tank, in this embodiment, by using a cleaning solution carrying formed microbubbles, there is no need to set an acoustic field for exciting the generation of microbubbles in the cleaning tank to avoid affecting the manipulation and rupture of the microbubbles. In addition, by using a cleaning liquid carrying microbubbles of different sizes, objects 300 to be cleaned of different sizes can be efficiently cleaned in a targeted manner, that is, when the size of the object 300 to be cleaned is large, for example, the surface to be cleaned of the object 300 to be cleaned is a large plane, outer surface or other structure, by using microbubbles of larger size to obtain a stronger cavitation effect, a single microbubble explosion can affect a larger area, and the cleaning intensity is higher, thereby improving the cleaning effect and cleaning efficiency of ultrasonic cleaning; when the size of the object 300 to be cleaned is small, for example, the surface to be cleaned of the object 300 to be cleaned is a structure such as the side wall of a micro-slit or the inner wall of a micro-cavity, if the microbubble size is large, it may not be able to infiltrate into the micro-slit or micro-cavity with the cleaning liquid, so it is necessary to select a cleaning liquid with smaller microbubbles for the cleaning operation.

[0116] The first ultrasonic transducer 100 can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical vibration signal, and emit a first ultrasonic wave with a frequency of the order of megahertz toward the object to be cleaned 300 and the cleaning liquid. The frequency value of the first ultrasonic wave can be any value in the range of 0.1MHz-50MHz, so as to manipulate the microbubbles in the cleaning liquid. In the embodiment of this aspect, a plurality of first ultrasonic transducers 100 are provided, and are arranged around the object to be cleaned 300. The specific position relationship can be as follows: Figure 1 The two first ultrasonic transducers 100 shown are respectively located on both sides of the object to be cleaned 300 and are arranged facing each other so as to overlap each other to form a gradient sound field between the two first ultrasonic transducers 100. Alternatively, the two first ultrasonic transducers 100 may be arranged at a set angle so that the emitted sound waves overlap in the direction of the object to be cleaned 300 to form a gradient sound field.

[0117] Since the gradient sound field has an energy extreme value in space, the particles can stably stay at the maximum and / or minimum position of the gradient sound field according to their acoustic characteristics. If the phase, intensity and / or frequency of the gradient sound field are adjusted so that the position of the maximum and / or minimum of the gradient sound field moves, the particles can also obtain the corresponding non-zero acoustic radiation force and drive to a new stable position. Based on this principle, a first signal regulator is also provided in the embodiment of this aspect, and the first signal regulator is connected to each first ultrasonic transducer 100 for communication to regulate the output of each first ultrasonic transducer 100. Specifically, taking the standing wave sound field as an example, the phase of the first ultrasonic wave is changed by delaying the signal, so that the antinode and node of the standing wave will also move. By adjusting the size and positive and negative of the delay, the precise control of the moving direction and moving distance of the microbubble can be achieved.

[0118] When the microbubble moves to the predetermined position, the second ultrasonic transducer 200 emits a second ultrasonic wave with a frequency of kilohertz toward the object to be cleaned 300. The frequency of the second ultrasonic wave can be any value in the range of 2KHz-1000KHz. The second ultrasonic wave in this range can easily stimulate the microbubble to rupture, thereby forming acoustic cavitation, microjet and other effects, so that the attached pollutants on the object to be cleaned 300 are detached. It should be noted that the predetermined position can be set to the surface or wall of the object to be cleaned 300, and then the microbubble explodes directly on the surface or wall of the object to be cleaned 300. When the material strength of the matrix material of the object to be cleaned 300 is low, in order to avoid the damage to the matrix of the object to be cleaned 300 caused by the explosion of microbubbles at a close distance, the predetermined position can also be set to a certain position within a certain range from the object to be cleaned 300. At this position, the impact force of the microbubble can achieve the removal of the attached pollutants, but will not damage the matrix part. The cleaning intensity of ultrasonic cleaning is regulated by regulating the moving distance of the microbubble.

[0119] The following is a specific ultrasonic cleaning case: the object 300 to be cleaned is as follows Figure 1 The square quartz tube shown has an outer diameter of the order of millimeters, and a square microchannel 310 with a width of the order of micrometers is provided inside the square quartz tube. During the cleaning process, the square quartz tube is placed in a cleaning tank, and the first ultrasonic transducers 100 on both sides of the square quartz tube emit a first ultrasonic wave, and form a standing wave sound field in the microchannel 310. By adjusting the phase of the standing wave, the microbubbles are controllably moved in the microchannel 310 to the vicinity of the wall of the microchannel 310. Since the speed at which sound waves propagate in a medium is equal to the product of the frequency and the wavelength, the speed at which sound waves propagate in the same medium is a fixed value. Therefore, the higher the frequency value of the ultrasonic wave is adjusted, the shorter its wavelength. The corresponding relationship between the standing wave phase and the distance that the microbubbles move is as follows: Figure 2As shown, when the phase shifts by 2 pi, the microbubble moves by 0.5 wavelength, and when the frequency of the ultrasonic wave is adjusted to be equal to its half wavelength (i.e., 0.5 wavelength) and the width of the square microchannel 310, the phase shifts by 2 pi, and the microbubble can move from one wall of the microchannel 310 to the other wall. The wavelength of the ultrasonic wave can also be smaller than the width of the microchannel 310, and the microbubble can move continuously by modulating multiple continuous phase changes.

[0120] Based on the above, the ultrasonic cleaning device of the first embodiment drives the first ultrasonic transducer 100 to generate the first ultrasonic wave through the first signal regulator, and then generates a gradient sound field in the cleaning tank, and controls the position of the maximum and / or minimum of the gradient sound field to controllably move the microbubbles to a predetermined position, and then uses the second ultrasonic transducer 200 to emit low-frequency power ultrasonic waves to blast the microbubbles, generate microjets and micro-acoustic flows to drive the attached pollutants to detach from the object to be cleaned 300. Especially for microstructures such as microtubes, microslits, and microcavities, through this ultrasonic cleaning device guided by the gradient sound field and with fixed-point blasting, high-precision cleaning of the set area of ​​the microstructure can be achieved, which greatly improves the cleaning efficiency and cleaning quality of the microstructure.

[0121] In some embodiments, the first ultrasonic transducer 100 may be located in the cleaning tank, and the first ultrasonic wave is transmitted using the cleaning liquid as a medium. In other embodiments, the first ultrasonic transducer 100 may also be located outside the cleaning tank, and be arranged in close proximity to the cleaning tank, so that the ultrasonic wave can be transmitted into the cleaning tank through the tank wall, and then transmitted to the object to be cleaned 300 through the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank. Transmission through solids and liquids can reduce energy attenuation during ultrasonic transmission, which is more conducive to precise control of ultrasonic waves.

[0122] In some embodiments, the first signal regulator can regulate the output frequency, intensity, etc. of the gradient sound field in addition to regulating the phase of the gradient sound field to change the position of the maximum and / or minimum of the gradient sound field. For example, the ultrasonic cleaning device of the present embodiment can adjust the frequency according to the size of the object to be cleaned 300, so as to debug the most suitable frequency in combination with the density of the cleaning liquid in practical applications, the propagation speed of the sound in the liquid to be cleaned, and the like. At this frequency, in response to the input of the delayed signal, the precision of the microbubble moving distance adjustment is high. For example, when the frequency is too large, the wavelength of the ultrasonic wave is too small, and in response to the input of the delayed signal, the position of the maximum or minimum value of the sound field changes less, that is, under the input of a delayed signal, the microbubble can only move a small distance, and cannot move to the effective burst range of the object to be cleaned 300, and the adjustability of the microbubble is poor. When the frequency is too small, the wavelength of the ultrasonic wave is too large, and in response to the input of the delayed signal, the position of the maximum or minimum value of the sound field changes greatly, that is, the microbubble will also produce a large movement in the case of a small delayed signal input, so that the precise regulation of the microbubble cannot be achieved.

[0123] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic cleaning device further includes a second signal regulator, which is communicatively connected to the second ultrasonic transducer 200 and can adjust the output frequency of the second ultrasonic transducer 200, so as to adjust the frequency used to stimulate the microbubble rupture for microbubbles of different sizes, so that the microbubbles can actively respond to the second ultrasonic wave of the second ultrasonic transducer 200, so as to avoid the microbubbles failing to burst in time after being stimulated, thereby causing the microbubbles to flow out of the set cleaning area of ​​the object to be cleaned 300, forming an invalid burst, which may cause damage to the clean surface of the object to be cleaned 300. Furthermore, the first signal regulator and the second signal regulator can be arranged in the same signal regulation device, as different signal regulation modules, which are communicatively connected to the first ultrasonic transducer 100 and the second ultrasonic transducer 200 through different output ports.

[0124] In some embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, the area to be cleaned of the object to be cleaned 300 also includes an inner cavity, such as structures such as microtubes and microcavities in the object to be cleaned 300, and the cleaning fluid is not easy to infiltrate into these microstructures. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a low-pressure peristaltic pump is also provided. The working principle of the low-pressure peristaltic pump is that when the rotor rotates, the pressure chamber in the hose formed by the roller and the pump housing is increased or reduced, so that the liquid is continuously transported from the inlet of the low-pressure peristaltic pump to the outlet. The infusion method of the low-pressure peristaltic pump makes it extremely small to cause disturbance to the conveying medium, is more suitable for conveying the cleaning fluid containing microbubbles, can reduce the influence of the microbubbles in the cleaning fluid conveying process to the minimum, and avoid the instability of the microbubbles causing rupture in the conveying process. Through the delivery of the low-pressure peristaltic pump, the cleaning fluid is transported to the microtube or microcavity, and the microbubble content of the cleaning fluid in the microtube or microcavity is improved.

[0125] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic cleaning device is also provided with a microbubble generator, which can act on the cleaning liquid to generate a large number of microbubbles, and the cleaning liquid containing a large number of microbubbles is transported to the cleaning tank for ultrasonic cleaning. The microbubbles are generated in the cleaning liquid in real time by the microbubble generator and then used for ultrasonic cleaning, and there is no need to purchase a cleaning liquid carrying microbubbles for ultrasonic cleaning. On the one hand, the dissipation of microbubbles during storage or transportation is avoided, and on the other hand, the use cost of the ultrasonic cleaning device for long-term use can be reduced.

[0126] In some embodiments, when the second ultrasonic transducer 200 excites the microbubbles to rupture, since the sizes of the microbubbles in the cleaning solution are inconsistent, the output frequency of the second ultrasonic transducer 200 is generally adjusted to the median value of the excitation frequency required for the rupture of microbubbles of various sizes, so that most of the microbubbles can be excited by the second ultrasonic wave output by the second ultrasonic transducer 200 and then rupture. In other embodiments provided with a microbubble generator, a large number of microbubbles are generated by the microbubble generator, and the microbubbles are controlled to have a uniform size. Specifically, according to the size of the object to be cleaned 300, when the microbubble generator is required to generate microbubbles of a set particle size, the deviation between the actual particle size of the microbubbles and the set particle size is within 20%, which means that the size of the microbubbles is relatively uniform. The size of the microbubbles is mostly concentrated near the set particle size, and the second ultrasonic transducer 200 can emit an ultrasonic wave with a set frequency, which corresponds to the set particle size of the microbubbles, and then, at the set frequency, there is a higher effective excitation rate (i.e., the ratio of microbubble rupture to non-rupture under the second ultrasonic wave excitation of the same frequency).

[0127] In other embodiments, the microbubble generator can also control the average particle size of the generated microbubbles. When the size of the object 300 to be cleaned is small, the strength of the matrix material is low, or the adhesion of the attached pollutants is not strong, the average particle size of the generated microbubbles is appropriately reduced. When the size of the object 300 to be cleaned is large, the strength of the matrix material is high, or the adhesion of the attached pollutants is strong, the average particle size of the generated microbubbles is appropriately increased. For example, in this embodiment, for a microstructure with an inner diameter of the micrometer order and a matrix material of quartz, the average particle size of the microbubbles is controlled to be about one tenth of the object 300 to be cleaned, so that a better cleaning effect can be obtained.

[0128] In some embodiments, by setting a number greater than two first ultrasonic transducers 100, two by two are grouped to form a gradient sound field extending in different directions or forming a gradient sound field at different positions, so as to clean different areas on the object to be cleaned 300 respectively. In other embodiments, a group of ultrasonic transducers is provided to form a gradient sound field, and the cleaning of other positions and angles is achieved by adjusting the position of the object to be cleaned 300. Specifically, in order to facilitate the adjustment of the position of the first ultrasonic transducer 100, a position adjustment mechanism is provided, and the position adjustment mechanism is in the cleaning tank and connected to the object to be cleaned 300. After the first ultrasonic transducer 100 forms a gradient sound field toward a preset direction, the object to be cleaned 300 in the direction can be ultrasonically cleaned. After the cleaning is completed, the position adjustment mechanism rotates the object to be cleaned 300 or moves the object to be cleaned 300 to readjust the position of the object to be cleaned 300, so that the areas to be cleaned at different angles or different positions on the object to be cleaned 300 are moved to the gradient sound field for ultrasonic cleaning.

[0129] The position adjustment mechanism can be a mechanism that drives the object to be cleaned 300 to rotate. Figure 1 Taking the square microchannel 310 in the figure as an example, the first ultrasonic waves on both sides extend in the horizontal direction, thereby forming a gradient sound field on the horizontal plane, and the microbubbles can move horizontally when regulated, thereby cleaning the vertical walls on both sides of the square microchannel 310. After the attached pollutants on the vertical walls are cleaned, the position adjustment mechanism drives the object to be cleaned 300 to rotate 90°, so that the original horizontal wall is adjusted to be placed vertically, so that it can be cleaned.

[0130] The position adjustment mechanism may also be a mechanism for driving the translation of the object to be cleaned 300. For example, when the object to be cleaned 300 has a long area to be cleaned, and the gradient sound field formed by the first ultrasonic transducer 100 cannot cover all the areas to be cleaned at one time, the position adjustment mechanism may also include a sliding guide rail and a sliding seat slidably connected to the sliding guide rail, wherein the extending direction of the sliding guide rail is parallel to the length direction of the object to be cleaned 300, and the sliding seat is used to connect the object to be cleaned 300. Furthermore, the first ultrasonic transducer 100 can move along the length direction of the area to be cleaned on the sliding guide rail to achieve segmented cleaning of the area to be cleaned.

[0131] It can be understood that the position adjustment mechanism can also be a mechanism that can drive the object to be cleaned 300 to rotate and translate.

[0132] like Figure 3 As shown, based on the ultrasonic cleaning device of the first aspect, the present application also proposes an ultrasonic cleaning method, comprising the following steps:

[0133] Step S100, preparing the ultrasonic cleaning device in the embodiment of the first aspect;

[0134] The ultrasonic cleaning device includes a cleaning tank, a plurality of first ultrasonic transducers 100, a second ultrasonic transducer 200 and a first signal regulator.

[0135] Step S200, placing the object to be cleaned into the cleaning tank, and injecting the cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank so that the object to be cleaned is immersed in the cleaning liquid;

[0136] The cleaning liquid plays the role of providing a transmission medium for microbubbles and ultrasonic waves, and the amount of the cleaning liquid should at least be sufficient to allow the area to be cleaned of the object 300 to be immersed in the cleaning liquid.

[0137] Step S300, controlling each first ultrasonic transducer 100 to emit a first ultrasonic wave to form a gradient sound field in the cleaning tank;

[0138] The theoretical frequency value of the first ultrasonic wave is calculated according to the size, shape and / or material of the object to be cleaned 300, and the actual frequency value of the first ultrasonic wave that is most conducive to regulating the position change of the maximum and minimum values ​​of the gradient sound field is verified through experimental verification. In addition, the initial phase and optimal intensity of the first ultrasonic wave can also be determined by means of measurement simulation or experimental verification. In addition, according to the size, shape and / or material of the object to be cleaned 300, the predetermined position of the microbubble rupture can also be determined.

[0139] Step S400, regulating the position of the maximum value and / or the minimum value of the gradient sound field by a signal regulator, so that the microbubble moves to a predetermined position;

[0140] For example, in the regulation of the standing wave sound field, a delay signal is input through the signal controller to adjust the distribution of the standing wave phase. The size of the delay signal depends on the frequency of the first ultrasonic wave and the distance the microbubble needs to move. For microtubes, microcavities and other micron-sized or smaller structures, the movement distance of the microbubbles can be precisely controlled by adjusting the appropriate sound wave wavelength and then inputting the delay signal.

[0141] In step S500, the second ultrasonic transducer 200 emits a second ultrasonic wave to stimulate microbubble rupture.

[0142] The frequency value of the second ultrasonic wave required for the microbubble rupture can be calculated according to the particle size of the microbubble. After the microbubble moves to a predetermined position, the second ultrasonic transducer 200 instantly emits the second ultrasonic wave to stimulate the microbubble rupture.

[0143] Next, numerical simulation and experimental verification are used to prove the feasibility of the ultrasonic cleaning method. Taking the standing wave acoustic field as an example: First, the acoustic field characteristics and force distribution inside the cavity are simulated, such as Figure 4 As shown, the grayscale image represents the amplitude of the standing wave, and the direction of the arrow represents the direction of the acoustic radiation force. It should be explained that the greater the acoustic field amplitude, the greater the acoustic field intensity at the position, and the acoustic radiation force on the microbubble points from the minimum value of the acoustic field intensity to the maximum value of the acoustic field intensity. Figure 4 (a) represents the amplitude distribution diagram of the standing wave sound field in the cavity. The white area is the antinode of the standing wave, which is the maximum value of the sound field intensity. The black area is the node of the standing wave, which is the minimum value of the sound field intensity. The sound radiation force points from the minimum value of the sound intensity to the maximum value. The sound radiation force at the antinode is 0, and the microbubble can stay at this stable position. It should be noted that whether the microbubble stays at the antinode or the node depends on the properties of the microbubble. The size and material of the microbubble will affect whether the microbubble stays at the antinode or the node.

[0144] By adjusting the relative delay of the signal of the first ultrasonic transducer 100 , the phase distribution of the standing wave can be adjusted. Figure 4(b) shows that the antinode of the standing wave shifts to the right. At this time, the stable position where the microbubble can stay also shifts to the right. The microbubble is subjected to the acoustic radiation force towards the current stable position at the original position, so that the microbubble moves to the right to the current stable position. Figure 4 As shown in (c), the relative delay of the signal of the first ultrasonic transducer 100 is regulated, and the antinode of the standing wave is further shifted to the right. At this time, the stable position of the microbubble is on the walls on both sides of the cavity, and the microbubble can stay on the wall of the cavity.

[0145] like Figure 5 As shown, the black circle is the stationary position of the microbubble. Figure 5 The position where the microbubbles stop in (a) is exactly Figure 4 (a) corresponds to the stable position, at which the acoustic radiation force is 0, which is the antinode position of the standing wave. By adjusting the relative delay of the signal of the first ultrasonic transducer 100, the phase distribution of the standing wave can be adjusted. Figure 5 (b) shows that the microbubbles are shifted to the right. Figure 5 As shown in (c), the relative delay of the signal of the first ultrasonic transducer 100 is adjusted, and the microbubble is further shifted to the right. Furthermore, by changing the relative delay of the signal of the incident transducer, the microbubble is moved to a predetermined position in a preset direction.

[0146] like Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 The comparison of microchannel 310 before and after cleaning is shown. Figure 6 (a) is the picture taken before cleaning. Figure 6 (b) is a picture taken after cleaning. By comparison, we can clearly see Figure 6 (b) Compared to Figure 6 (a) The attached pollutants on the pipe wall are significantly reduced, and the entire pipe wall is cleaner.

[0147] Based on the above, the ultrasonic cleaning method in the embodiment of this aspect controls the first ultrasonic transducer 100 to generate the first ultrasonic wave through the signal regulator, and generates a standing wave sound field in the cleaning liquid by adjusting the frequency, initial phase and / or intensity of the first ultrasonic transducer 100. The microbubble will stop at the antinode or node position of the standing wave, and the movement of the antinode or node position of the standing wave is obtained by adjusting the phase of the first ultrasonic transducer 100. Since the microbubble is subjected to the effect of the acoustic radiation force, the movement of the microbubble in the cleaning liquid can be realized. When the microbubble moves to the vicinity of the object to be cleaned 300, the second ultrasonic transducer 200 is used to emit a second ultrasonic wave, so that the microbubble is exploded at a predetermined position, and its blasting pressure is used to generate instantaneous acoustic flow, micro jet, etc., so that the particle contaminants overcome their adsorption force with the cavity surface, etc. and are removed, thereby achieving the purpose of cleaning the cavity wall. The method has high cleaning efficiency and high cleaning accuracy, and has little damage to the main part of the chip and circuit board waiting to be cleaned 300, and is suitable for cleaning various high-precision instrument components and cleaning of microstructures.

[0148] like Figure 7 As shown, the embodiment of the second aspect of the present application proposes an ultrasonic cleaning device, in which the functions of the first ultrasonic transducer 100 and the second ultrasonic transducer 200 in the above-mentioned first aspect embodiment are realized by a broadband third ultrasonic transducer 400. Specifically, the ultrasonic cleaning device in the embodiment of this aspect includes a cleaning tank, a signal regulator and a plurality of third ultrasonic transducers 400, the cleaning tank is used to accommodate a cleaning liquid with microbubbles, and the signal regulator is connected to the third ultrasonic transducer 400 in communication to regulate the output of the third ultrasonic transducer 400. It should be noted that the third ultrasonic transducer 400 in the embodiment of this aspect can emit a first ultrasonic wave and a second ultrasonic wave. Under the regulation of the signal regulator, the third ultrasonic transducer 400 first emits a first ultrasonic wave with a frequency of the order of megahertz, and the frequency of the first ultrasonic wave can be any value in the range of 0.1MHz-50MHz. The first ultrasonic waves of the plurality of third ultrasonic transducers 400 are superimposed to form a gradient sound field, and then the position of the maximum and / or minimum of the gradient sound field is regulated by the signal regulator to drive the microbubbles to move. After the microbubbles reach the predetermined position, the signal controller controls at least one third ultrasonic transducer 400 to emit a second ultrasonic wave with a frequency in the kilohertz range, wherein the frequency of the second ultrasonic wave can be any value in the range of 2 kHz-1000 kHz, thereby stimulating the microbubbles to cause them to burst.

[0149] It should be noted that when the position change of the maximum value and / or the minimum value is adjusted to move the microbubble to the predetermined position, since the microbubble has a certain inertia, after stopping the emission of the first ultrasonic wave, the microbubble can still maintain the original moving direction and will not spread out in a disorderly manner. In a short time, the frequency of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the third ultrasonic transducer 400 is adjusted to a low frequency band that can excite the microbubble to break, so that the microbubble can break on the wall surface or near the wall surface of the object to be cleaned 300, so as to generate an impact force to make the attached pollutants fall off. The first ultrasonic wave and the second ultrasonic wave are alternately emitted by the third ultrasonic transducer 400 to realize the continuous switching of regulating the microbubble and exciting the microbubble, thereby realizing the ultrasonic cleaning of the object to be cleaned 300.

[0150] The ultrasonic cleaning device of the embodiment of this aspect can emit a first ultrasonic wave for regulating the movement of microbubbles and a second ultrasonic wave for exciting the rupture of microbubbles by using a wide-band third ultrasonic transducer 400, without the need to additionally set up a second ultrasonic transducer 200 for exciting the rupture of microbubbles. Under the premise of realizing the functions of gradient sound field guidance and fixed-point blasting, the structure of the ultrasonic cleaning device is simpler.

[0151] In some embodiments, a microbubble generator, a low-pressure peristaltic pump, a position adjustment mechanism and other devices mentioned in the first aspect embodiment may also be provided. Their functions and effects are the same or similar to those in the first aspect embodiment and are not elaborated here.

[0152] Based on the ultrasonic cleaning device proposed in the embodiment of the second aspect, the present application also proposes an ultrasonic cleaning method:

[0153] This ultrasonic cleaning method is based on the principle of controlling the movement of microbubbles, such as Figure 8 As shown, it mainly includes the following steps:

[0154] Step S100, preparing the ultrasonic cleaning device of the second embodiment;

[0155] The ultrasonic cleaning device comprises a cleaning tank, a plurality of third ultrasonic transducers 400 and a signal regulator. A single third ultrasonic transducer 400 can emit a first ultrasonic wave or a second ultrasonic wave under the regulation of the signal regulator.

[0156] Step S200, placing the object to be cleaned into the cleaning tank, and injecting the cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank so that the object to be cleaned is immersed in the cleaning liquid;

[0157] The cleaning liquid plays the role of providing a transmission medium for microbubbles and ultrasonic waves, and the amount of the cleaning liquid should at least be sufficient to allow the area to be cleaned of the object 300 to be immersed in the cleaning liquid.

[0158] Step S300, controlling each third ultrasonic transducer 400 to emit a first ultrasonic wave to form a gradient sound field in the cleaning tank;

[0159] The theoretical frequency value of the first ultrasonic wave is calculated according to the size, shape and / or material of the object to be cleaned 300, and the actual frequency value of the first ultrasonic wave that is most conducive to regulating the position change of the maximum and minimum values ​​of the gradient sound field is verified through experimental verification. In addition, according to the size, shape and / or material of the object to be cleaned 300, the predetermined position of the microbubble rupture can also be determined.

[0160] Step S400, regulating the positions of the maximum and minimum values ​​of the gradient sound field by a signal regulator, so that the microbubble moves to a predetermined position;

[0161] For example, in the regulation of the standing wave sound field, a delay signal is input through the signal controller to adjust the distribution of the standing wave phase. The size of the delay signal depends on the frequency of the first ultrasonic wave and the distance the microbubble needs to move. For microtubes, microcavities and other micron-sized or smaller structures, the movement distance of the microbubbles can be precisely controlled by adjusting the appropriate sound wave wavelength and then inputting the delay signal.

[0162] In step S500, the signal controller controls at least one third ultrasonic transducer 400 to emit a second ultrasonic wave to stimulate microbubble rupture.

[0163] Objects have the property of being able to resonate with external vibrations. When an object is in a resonant state, its surface can generate a local gradient acoustic field, which has both acoustic field maxima and acoustic field minima, and can generate acoustic radiation force to capture microbubbles near the surface of the object. Fig.10 The specific embodiment shown is used as an example to explain in detail. Fig.10 After the object to be cleaned 300 is excited to a resonance state, a resonance is formed in the inner cavity of the square microchannel 310. Fig. 9 The sound field shown, Fig. 9 The grayscale image shown is a schematic diagram of the distribution of the acoustic field amplitude in the inner cavity. The higher the acoustic field amplitude, the greater the acoustic field intensity. The microbubbles in the acoustic field are subjected to the acoustic radiation force from the minimum acoustic field intensity to the maximum acoustic field intensity. Fig. 9 As shown, the wall of the microchannel 310 is at the maximum value of the acoustic field intensity, and the acoustic radiation force is directed from the center of the microchannel 310 to the wall of the microchannel 310. Then, the microbubbles in the microchannel 310 are affected by the acoustic radiation force and have a tendency to move to the wall of the microchannel 310. Based on this principle, the third embodiment of the present application proposes an ultrasonic cleaning device, which excites the resonance state of the object to be cleaned 300 by high-frequency ultrasonic waves to attract microbubbles to move toward the object to be cleaned 300, thereby achieving cleaning of microstructures such as microcavities, microchannels, and microslits, so that the microbubbles regularly explode on the surface of the object to be cleaned 300 or in the area near the surface.

[0164] Specifically, Fig.10 As shown, the ultrasonic cleaning device of the embodiment of the present invention further includes a first ultrasonic transducer 100, a second ultrasonic transducer 200 and a cleaning tank. The first ultrasonic transducer 100 is arranged in the cleaning tank, and can emit a first ultrasonic wave with a frequency of the order of megahertz toward the object to be cleaned 300. The frequency of the first ultrasonic wave can be any value in the range of 0.1MHz-50MHz, thereby exciting the resonance state of the object to be cleaned 300 to attract the microbubbles in the cleaning liquid to move toward the object to be cleaned 300. The second ultrasonic transducer 200 is arranged in the cleaning tank, and can emit a second ultrasonic wave with a frequency of the order of kilohertz toward the object to be cleaned 300. The frequency of the second ultrasonic wave can be any value in the range of 2KHz-1000KHz. Under the excitation of the second ultrasonic wave, the microbubbles in the cleaning liquid absorb energy and break, thereby impacting the attached pollutants on the surface of the object to be cleaned 300, so as to remove the attached pollutants on the object to be cleaned 300.

[0165] It should be noted that the effect of the first ultrasonic transducer 100 of the ultrasonic cleaning device in the embodiment of this aspect is to excite the resonant state of the object to be cleaned 300, so it is only necessary to set a first ultrasonic transducer 100 to send the first ultrasonic wave for exciting the resonant state, and the structure is simpler. In addition, taking the micro-duct 310 of the object to be cleaned 300 as an example, pollutants are attached to the tube wall of the micro-duct 310, and after the object to be cleaned 300 is excited to the resonant state, the tube wall within the sound field range forms an attraction to microbubbles, and then, the microbubbles can not be limited to moving toward the tube wall along the transmission direction of the ultrasonic wave, but can move toward the nearby tube wall in all directions. When the microbubbles move to the vicinity of the tube wall, the second ultrasonic transducer 200 is used to excite the microbubbles to complete the cleaning of the attached pollutants. Therefore, the attraction of the object to be cleaned 300 to the microbubbles by exciting the resonant state does not need to frequently change the state of the gradient sound field.

[0166] Since the resonant frequency is the natural frequency of the object, the resonant frequency of the object 300 to be cleaned can be measured by a resonant frequency detector, and the output frequency of the first ultrasonic transducer 100 is fixed to a value equal to the resonant frequency. In large-scale cleaning operations, there is no need to adjust the output frequency of the first ultrasonic transducer 100, and ultrasonic cleaning of the same batch of objects 300 to be cleaned with the same size, material, structure, etc. can be achieved. This is particularly suitable for cleaning operations on large-scale objects 300 to be cleaned with the same specifications in industrial production.

[0167] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic cleaning device may also be provided with a first signal regulator that is communicatively connected to the first ultrasonic transducer 100, so as to readjust the output frequency of the first ultrasonic transducer 100 when the size, structure and other factors of the object 300 to be cleaned change, resulting in a change in its resonant frequency, so as to adapt to ultrasonic cleaning operations of different objects 300 to be cleaned.

[0168] In some embodiments, a second signal regulator, a low-pressure peristaltic pump, a microbubble generator and other devices mentioned in the first aspect embodiment may also be provided. Their functions and effects are the same as those in the first aspect embodiment and are not elaborated here.

[0169] like Fig.11 As shown, based on the ultrasonic cleaning device proposed in the embodiment of the third aspect, the present application also proposes an ultrasonic cleaning method, and the specific steps are as follows:

[0170] Step S100, preparing the ultrasonic cleaning device of the third aspect embodiment;

[0171] The ultrasonic cleaning device comprises a cleaning tank, a first ultrasonic transducer 100 and a second ultrasonic transducer 200. The first ultrasonic transducer 100 and the second ultrasonic transducer 200 can both emit ultrasonic waves with a fixed frequency value.

[0172] Step S200, placing the object to be cleaned into the cleaning tank, and injecting the cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank so that the object to be cleaned is immersed in the cleaning liquid;

[0173] The cleaning liquid plays the role of providing a transmission medium for microbubbles and ultrasonic waves, and the amount of the cleaning liquid should at least be sufficient to allow the area to be cleaned of the object 300 to be immersed in the cleaning liquid.

[0174] Step S300, controlling the first ultrasonic transducer 100 to emit a first ultrasonic wave to excite the resonance state of the object to be cleaned 300, so that the microbubbles can move toward the object to be cleaned 300;

[0175] After the resonance state of the object to be cleaned 300 is excited, it has the characteristic of attracting microbubbles, so the microbubbles can move to a predetermined position toward the object to be cleaned 300. The resonance frequency of the object to be cleaned 300 can be measured by a resonance frequency detector.

[0176] Step S400, controlling the second ultrasonic transducer 200 to emit a second ultrasonic wave to stimulate microbubble rupture.

[0177] The frequency value of the second ultrasonic wave required for the microbubble rupture can be calculated based on the particle size of the microbubbles.

[0178] like Fig.12As shown, the embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present application proposes an ultrasonic cleaning device, in which the functions of the first ultrasonic transducer 100 and the second ultrasonic transducer 200 in the above-mentioned third aspect embodiment are realized by a broadband third ultrasonic transducer 400, that is, in the embodiment of this aspect, the ultrasonic cleaning device has only one third ultrasonic transducer 400, which can both emit a first ultrasonic wave that excites the resonance state of the object to be cleaned 300, the frequency of the first ultrasonic wave being any value in the range of 0.1MHz-50MHz, and emit a second ultrasonic wave that excites the rupture of microbubbles, the frequency of the second ultrasonic wave being any value in the range of 2KHz-1000KHz. The ultrasonic cleaning structure is extremely streamlined, low in cost, and relatively simple in structure, and is suitable for industrial large-scale, same-size cleaning operations of the object to be cleaned 300, and the degree of automation of the cleaning is high, which can greatly improve the cleaning efficiency and cleaning effect of the microstructure.

[0179] like Fig.13 As shown, based on the ultrasonic cleaning device proposed in the fourth aspect of the embodiment, the present application also proposes an ultrasonic cleaning method, and the specific steps are as follows:

[0180] Step S100, preparing the ultrasonic cleaning device in the embodiment of the fourth aspect;

[0181] The ultrasonic cleaning device includes a third ultrasonic transducer 400 and a signal regulator. The third ultrasonic transducer 400 can emit a first ultrasonic wave or a second ultrasonic wave under the control of the signal regulator.

[0182] Step S200, placing the object to be cleaned into the cleaning tank, and injecting the cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank so that the object to be cleaned is immersed in the cleaning liquid;

[0183] The cleaning liquid plays the role of providing a transmission medium for microbubbles and ultrasonic waves, and the amount of the cleaning liquid should at least be sufficient to allow the area to be cleaned of the object 300 to be immersed in the cleaning liquid.

[0184] Step S300, controlling the third ultrasonic transducer 400 to emit a first ultrasonic wave to excite the resonance state of the object to be cleaned 300, so that the microbubbles can move toward the object to be cleaned 300;

[0185] After the resonance state of the object to be cleaned 300 is excited, it has the characteristic of attracting particles, so the microbubbles can move to a predetermined position toward the object to be cleaned 300. The resonance frequency of the object to be cleaned 300 can be measured by a resonance frequency detector.

[0186] Step S400, controlling the third ultrasonic transducer 400 to emit a second ultrasonic wave to stimulate microbubble rupture.

[0187] The frequency value of the second ultrasonic wave required for the microbubble to burst can be calculated according to the particle size of the microbubble. The signal controller controls the third ultrasonic transducer 400 to emit the corresponding second ultrasonic wave.

[0188] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various changes can be made within the knowledge of ordinary technicians in the relevant technical field without departing from the purpose of the present invention. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic cleaning device, characterized in that: include: A cleaning tank, used for containing a cleaning liquid having microbubbles; A plurality of first ultrasonic transducers, wherein the plurality of first ultrasonic transducers act on the cleaning liquid to respectively emit first ultrasonic waves toward the object to be cleaned, and the frequency range of the first ultrasonic waves is 0.1 MHz-50 MHz; a second ultrasonic transducer, the second ultrasonic transducer acting on the cleaning liquid to emit a second ultrasonic wave toward the object to be cleaned, the frequency range of the second ultrasonic wave being 2 kHz-1000 kHz; a first signal regulator, connected in communication with each of the first ultrasonic transducers to regulate the output of each of the first ultrasonic transducers; The superposition of a plurality of the first ultrasonic waves can form a gradient sound field, and the first signal regulator can move the microbubble to a predetermined position by regulating the position of the maximum value and / or minimum value of the gradient sound field; the second ultrasonic wave can cause the microbubble to rupture; The ultrasonic cleaning device also includes a microbubble generator, which can act on the cleaning liquid to generate the microbubbles used for ultrasonic cleaning. The microbubble generator can control the average particle size of the microbubbles. The microbubble generator can generate microbubbles of a set particle size and ensure that the deviation between the actual particle size of the microbubbles and the set particle size is within 20%.

2. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first ultrasonic transducer is located in the cleaning tank and is configured to: transmit the first ultrasonic wave through the cleaning liquid; Alternatively, the first ultrasonic transducer is located outside the cleaning tank and is arranged in close contact with the cleaning tank, and is configured to be able to transmit the first ultrasonic wave through the cleaning tank and the cleaning liquid.

3. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second ultrasonic transducer is located in the cleaning tank and is configured to: transmit the second ultrasonic wave through the cleaning liquid; Alternatively, the second ultrasonic transducer is located outside the cleaning tank and is arranged in close contact with the cleaning tank, and is configured to be able to transmit the second ultrasonic wave through the cleaning tank and the cleaning liquid.

4. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first signal controller can control the frequency, phase and / or intensity of the gradient sound field to change the position of the maximum value and / or minimum value of the gradient sound field.

5. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultrasonic cleaning device further includes a second signal regulator, which is communicatively connected to the second ultrasonic transducer to regulate the frequency and / or intensity of the second ultrasonic wave.

6. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The object to be cleaned has an inner cavity, and the ultrasonic cleaning device further comprises a low-pressure peristaltic pump, which is used to transport the cleaning liquid into the inner cavity.

7. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultrasonic cleaning device further comprises a position adjustment mechanism, which is arranged in the cleaning tank and connected to the object to be cleaned. The position adjustment mechanism can adjust the relative position of the object to be cleaned and the first ultrasonic transducer.

8. An ultrasonic cleaning method, characterized in that: The steps include: Prepare an ultrasonic cleaning device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7; placing the object to be cleaned into the cleaning tank, and injecting the cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank so that the object to be cleaned is immersed in the cleaning liquid; controlling each of the first ultrasonic transducers to emit the first ultrasonic wave to form the gradient sound field in the cleaning tank; The signal controller controls the position of the maximum value and / or the minimum value of the gradient acoustic field, so that the microbubble is driven by the acoustic radiation force to move to the predetermined position; The second ultrasonic transducer is controlled to emit the second ultrasonic wave to stimulate the microbubble to burst.

9. The ultrasonic cleaning method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The following steps are also included: The predetermined position and / or the frequency, initial phase and / or intensity of the first ultrasonic wave are determined according to the size, shape and / or material of the object to be cleaned.

10. An ultrasonic cleaning device, characterized in that: include: A cleaning tank, used for containing a cleaning liquid having microbubbles; A plurality of third ultrasonic transducers, wherein the plurality of third ultrasonic transducers act on the cleaning liquid to respectively emit ultrasonic waves toward the object to be cleaned; a signal regulator, connected in communication with the third ultrasonic transducer to regulate the output of the third ultrasonic transducer; Wherein, the ultrasonic wave comprises a first ultrasonic wave, the frequency range of the first ultrasonic wave is 0.1MHz-50MHz, a plurality of the first ultrasonic waves are superimposed on each other to form a gradient sound field, and the signal controller can move the microbubble to a predetermined position by regulating the position of the maximum value and / or minimum value of the gradient sound field; and under the regulation of the signal controller, at least one of the third ultrasonic transducers can emit a second ultrasonic wave that causes the microbubble to rupture, and the frequency range of the second ultrasonic wave is 2KHz-1000KHz; The ultrasonic cleaning device also includes a microbubble generator, which can act on the cleaning liquid to generate the microbubbles used for ultrasonic cleaning. The microbubble generator can control the average particle size of the microbubbles. The microbubble generator can generate microbubbles of a set particle size and ensure that the deviation between the actual particle size of the microbubbles and the set particle size is within 20%.

11. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The third ultrasonic transducer is located in the cleaning tank and is configured to: transmit the ultrasonic wave through the cleaning liquid; Alternatively, the third ultrasonic transducer is located outside the cleaning tank and is arranged in close contact with the cleaning tank, and is configured to be able to transmit the ultrasonic wave through the tank wall of the cleaning tank and the cleaning liquid.

12. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The signal controller can control the frequency, phase and / or intensity of the gradient sound field to change the position of the maximum value and / or minimum value of the gradient sound field.

13. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The object to be cleaned has an inner cavity, and the ultrasonic cleaning device further comprises a low-pressure peristaltic pump, which is used to transport the cleaning liquid into the inner cavity.

14. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The ultrasonic cleaning device also includes a position adjustment mechanism, which is disposed in the cleaning tank and connected to the object to be cleaned. The position adjustment mechanism can adjust the relative position of the object to be cleaned and the third ultrasonic transducer.

15. An ultrasonic cleaning method, characterized in that: The steps include: Prepare an ultrasonic cleaning device as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 14; placing the object to be cleaned into the cleaning tank, and injecting the cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank so that the object to be cleaned is immersed in the cleaning liquid; Controlling each of the third ultrasonic transducers to emit the first ultrasonic wave to form the gradient sound field in the cleaning tank; The signal controller controls the position of the maximum value and / or the minimum value of the gradient acoustic field, so that the microbubble is driven by the acoustic radiation force to move to the predetermined position; The signal controller controls at least one of the third ultrasonic transducers to emit the second ultrasonic wave to stimulate the microbubble to burst.

16. The ultrasonic cleaning method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The following steps are also included: The predetermined position and / or the frequency, initial phase and / or intensity of the first ultrasonic wave are determined according to the size, shape and / or material of the object to be cleaned.

17. An ultrasonic cleaning device, characterized in that: include: A cleaning tank, used for containing a cleaning liquid having microbubbles; A first ultrasonic transducer, the first ultrasonic transducer acts on the cleaning liquid to emit a first ultrasonic wave toward the object to be cleaned, and the frequency range of the first ultrasonic wave is 0.1 MHz-50 MHz; a second ultrasonic transducer, the second ultrasonic transducer acting on the cleaning liquid to emit a second ultrasonic wave toward the object to be cleaned, the frequency range of the second ultrasonic wave being 2 kHz-1000 kHz; The object to be cleaned has a resonance state, and the first ultrasonic wave can excite the resonance state so that the microbubbles move toward the object to be cleaned to a predetermined position; and the second ultrasonic wave can cause the microbubbles to burst; The ultrasonic cleaning device also includes a microbubble generator, which can act on the cleaning liquid to generate the microbubbles used for ultrasonic cleaning. The microbubble generator can control the average particle size of the microbubbles. The microbubble generator can generate microbubbles of a set particle size and ensure that the deviation between the actual particle size of the microbubbles and the set particle size is within 20%.

18. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 17, characterized in that: The first ultrasonic transducer is located in the cleaning tank and is configured to: transmit the first ultrasonic wave through the cleaning liquid; Alternatively, the first ultrasonic transducer is located outside the cleaning tank and is arranged in close contact with the cleaning tank, and is configured to be able to transmit the first ultrasonic wave through the cleaning tank and the cleaning liquid.

19. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 17, characterized in that: The second ultrasonic transducer is located in the cleaning tank and is configured to: transmit the second ultrasonic wave through the cleaning liquid; Alternatively, the second ultrasonic transducer is located outside the cleaning tank and is arranged in close contact with the cleaning tank, and is configured to be able to transmit the second ultrasonic wave through the cleaning tank and the cleaning liquid.

20. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 17, characterized in that: The ultrasonic cleaning device also includes a first signal regulator, which is communicatively connected to the first ultrasonic transducer to regulate the frequency of the first ultrasonic wave.

21. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 17, characterized in that: The ultrasonic cleaning device further includes a second signal regulator, which is communicatively connected to the second ultrasonic transducer to regulate the frequency and / or intensity of the second ultrasonic wave.

22. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 17, characterized in that: The object to be cleaned has an inner cavity, and the ultrasonic cleaning device further comprises a low-pressure peristaltic pump, which is used to transport the cleaning liquid into the inner cavity.

23. An ultrasonic cleaning method, characterized in that: The steps include: Prepare an ultrasonic cleaning device as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 22; placing the object to be cleaned into the cleaning tank, and injecting the cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank so that the object to be cleaned is immersed in the cleaning liquid; controlling the first ultrasonic transducer to emit the first ultrasonic wave to excite the resonance state of the object to be cleaned, so that the microbubbles can move toward the object to be cleaned to the predetermined position; The second ultrasonic transducer is controlled to emit the second ultrasonic wave to stimulate the microbubble to burst.

24. The ultrasonic cleaning method according to claim 23, characterized in that: The following steps are also included: The predetermined position and / or the frequency of the first ultrasonic wave are determined according to the size, shape and / or material of the object to be cleaned.

25. An ultrasonic cleaning device, characterized in that: include: A cleaning tank, used for containing a cleaning liquid having microbubbles; a third ultrasonic transducer, the third ultrasonic transducer acting on the cleaning liquid to emit ultrasonic waves toward the object to be cleaned; a signal regulator, connected in communication with the third ultrasonic transducer to regulate the output frequency of the third ultrasonic transducer; The object to be cleaned has a resonance state, and the ultrasonic wave includes a first ultrasonic wave for exciting the resonance state so that the microbubbles move to a predetermined position toward the object to be cleaned, and the frequency range of the first ultrasonic wave is 0.1 MHz-50 MHz; and under the control of the signal regulator, the third ultrasonic transducer can also emit a second ultrasonic wave for bursting the microbubbles, and the frequency range of the second ultrasonic wave is 2 KHz-1000 KHz; The ultrasonic cleaning device also includes a microbubble generator, which can act on the cleaning liquid to generate the microbubbles used for ultrasonic cleaning. The microbubble generator can control the average particle size of the microbubbles. The microbubble generator can generate microbubbles of a set particle size and ensure that the deviation between the actual particle size of the microbubbles and the set particle size is within 20%.

26. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 25, characterized in that: The third ultrasonic transducer is located in the cleaning tank and is configured to: transmit ultrasonic waves through the cleaning liquid; Alternatively, the third ultrasonic transducer is located outside the cleaning tank and is arranged in close contact with the cleaning tank, and is configured to transmit ultrasonic waves through the tank wall of the cleaning tank and the cleaning liquid.

27. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 25, characterized in that: The signal controller can control the frequency and / or intensity of the first ultrasonic wave, and / or the signal controller can control the frequency and / or intensity of the second ultrasonic wave.

28. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 25, characterized in that: The object to be cleaned has an inner cavity, and the ultrasonic cleaning device further comprises a low-pressure peristaltic pump, which is used to transport the cleaning liquid into the inner cavity.

29. An ultrasonic cleaning method, characterized in that: The steps include: Preparing an ultrasonic cleaning device as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 28; placing the object to be cleaned into the cleaning tank, and injecting the cleaning liquid into the cleaning tank so that the object to be cleaned is immersed in the cleaning liquid; controlling the third ultrasonic transducer to emit the first ultrasonic wave to excite the resonance state of the object to be cleaned, so that the microbubbles can move toward the object to be cleaned to the predetermined position; The third ultrasonic transducer is controlled to emit the second ultrasonic wave to stimulate the microbubble to burst.

30. The ultrasonic cleaning method according to claim 29, characterized in that: The following steps are also included: The predetermined position and / or the frequency of the first ultrasonic wave are determined according to the size, shape and / or material of the object to be cleaned.

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