Targeted cavitation cleaning Inspired by the Pistol Shrimp principle

Immersion cleaning of complex geometries at its limits

 

Reliable cleaning of complex components and stubborn contaminants is critical for product quality. Conventional immersion cleaning processes, such as ultrasound or pressure flooding, reach their limits in these cases: the ultrasound often fails to reach all surfaces in complex geometries, while pressure flooding provides only limited mechanical impact.

This results in longer cleaning times, increased energy and chemical consumption, and limited process control for industrial users.

The goal of the IGF project “CavClean” was therefore to develop a process that delivers a high cleaning performance regardless of geometry while reducing resource consumption and overcoming these limitations.

 

Focused cavitation inspired by the Pistol Shrimp

 

The pistol shrimp generates a high-velocity water jet via an extremely rapid claw movement. The collapse of the resulting cavitation bubble produces a localized pressure wave. This biological principle—targeted energy input via controlled bubble collapse—served as the basis for the development of technical demonstrators that generate cavitating liquid jets in immersion tanks.

Different setups produced varying jet shapes and volumes. The most effective concept uses a piston accelerated by a solenoid actuator, generating high flow velocities at the nozzle outlet. This enables faster and more efficient removal of even persistent contaminants compared to conventional immersion cleaning processes.

Fluid dynamic analyses also showed that the central liquid jet provides the primary cleaning effect, while cavitation acts as a reinforcing secondary effect.

 

Cavitation power for industrial cleaning applications

 

Feasibility studies have demonstrated that cavitating jets can significantly enhance cleaning efficiency and overall process performance. Limitations currently exist for tangentially impinged surfaces and deep bores, which are being addressed in follow-up projects.

The findings are now being transferred into the next development stage, with the aim of optimizing the impulse direction to effectively clean hard-to-reach areas.

In the future, the simultaneous use of multiple nozzles will enable higher system throughput and open up new product lines. The underlying principle also offers potential for applications, such as deburring, coating removal, and biofouling removal. This creates a wide range of use cases for the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and industrial component cleaning sectors.

 

Project Information  

 

Cooperation partner:	TU Bergakademie Freiberg
Funding	Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz BMWK aufgrund eines Beschlusses des Deutschen Bundestages (über IVLV e.V.)
Funding code	1IF22294N