Optimisation and numerical simulation of ultrasonic reactor in hydrometallurgical process

In this paper, COMSOL Multiphysics software is used to carry out simulations to visualise the distribution of the acoustic field and sound pressure in the reaction cavity for different ultrasonic frequencies, powers, reaction cavity shapes, ultrasonic horn diameters and ultrasonic horn action depths. The results indicate the ultrasonic frequency affects the uniformity of the acoustic field distribution, and the ultrasonic power affects the magnitude of the sonic pressure. Taking into account that the sonic pressure is not less than the cavitation threshold, the sound field is evenly distributed, and it is energy-saving and environment-friendly. The optimal simulation conditions are obtained. In a 500 mL cylindrical reaction chamber, the ultrasonic frequency and power are 25 kHz and 130 W, respectively. The diameter of the ultrasonic horn is 34 mm, and the depth of action is 30 mm. Under these conditions, the maximum sound pressure reaches 1.08 × 106 Pa.