Design, Construction, and Application of Ultrasonic Cells on Golden Mussel Larvae

Biofouling is the unwanted formation of organisms on surfaces submerged in water, and represents a major challenge in several economic areas. This problem is particularly prominent in the hydroelectric industry, causing substantial costs and a decrease in operational efficiency due to necessary maintenance activities. In the context of industrial biofouling, the invasive alien species of mollusk known as golden mussel stands out. To mitigate this threat, we propose the application of power ultrasound technology using Langevin transducers. In this work, we modeled an ultrasonic system with Finite Element Method (FEM) using the software COMSOL Multiphysics. Two ultra-sonic cells operating at frequencies of 25 kHz and 40 kHz were modeled, which were subsequently built and analyzed. The result stands out as proving the ability to generate acoustic cavitation in both cells, a phenomenon closely related to the elimination of biofouling. In initial tests, we found that 120s of ultrasonic irradiation was enough to eliminate 100% of the golden mussel larvae. This technological advance offers a solid and sustainable perspective for the development of systems to combat or prevent golden mussels.