Cavitation sensor with hydrothermally synthesized lead zirconate titanate polycrystalline film deposited on cylindrical titanium pipe: Estimation of acoustic cavitation field and basic characteristics of cavitation sensor

We have developed a small cavitation sensor by deposition of hydrothermally synthesized lead zirconate titanate polycrystalline film onto the outer surface of a hollow cylindrical titanium pipe. The spatial distribution of acoustic cavitation generated in the vessel of a 150 kHz sonoreactor was measured by using the broadband integrated voltage (BIV) calculated from the output signal of the cavitation sensor. A spatial distribution similar to the sonochemical luminescence pattern could be observed in the measured BIV results. We found that our fabricated cavitation sensor could measure the spatial distribution of acoustic cavitation in a high-intensity ultrasound field for a period exceeding 150 h without damage. We also measured the spatial distribution and directivity of the receiving sensitivity for characterization of the sensor. The measured results suggest that the BIV and cavitation signal included in the output signal of the cavitation sensor are a consequence of the acoustic cavitation generated in the sensor's cylindrical hollow.