Both capacitors and inductors are “reactive” components.  Unlike resistors, capacitors and inductors store electricity on a short term basis but in different ways.  For me, the capacitor is a little easier to understand so let’s start with it. For all practical purposes, capacitors consist of two pieces of conductive material (think aluminum foil) separated by …

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The purpose of a diode is to allow the flow of electrical current in only one direction.  The ability to control current flow is very useful in electronics applications.  Diodes have been around in one form or another for a long time.  In the days of vacuum tubes, a “diode” was a tube with a …

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The lowly resistor is probably the electronic component that is most familiar to most of us.  Its one and only purpose is to limit the number of electrons that flow through a circuit. The “poorly conductive material” used in the vast majority of resistors is a mixture of carbon with various other “stuff” to hold …

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Inductors and capacitors both provide short term storage of electrical energy but in different ways and with different goals.  A capacitor physically stores electrons and acts as a source of voltage.  An inductor stores electrical current in a magnetic field and acts as a source of current. Although not present in all inductors, a core …

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In a previous blog, we talked about the effect that different waveforms have on RMS vs. Peak voltage.  Now we’re going to look at the ramifications of that when it comes to power consumption.  For purposes of discussion, we are going to use an old-fashioned light bulb with a filament – something that’s easier for most …

The post Power Variations Due to Alternating Current in a Light Bulb appeared first on CTG Technical Blog.

Over the years I have made tens if not hundreds of efforts to clarify the meaning of the term “power” as it applies to the capabilities of ultrasonic cleaning systems.  Despite these efforts, a functional means of rating the capability of ultrasonic cleaning systems is still undefined.  There are several conventions and declarations.  But in …

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The blog A Little About RMS introduced the concept RMS (Root Mean Squared) as a way of expressing the equivalent effect of alternating current vs. direct current electricity in the power consumed by a resistive load.  Now would be an excellent time to read that one again before going ahead with this one.  As part …

The post What a Difference a Wave(shape) Makes appeared first on CTG Technical Blog.

Successful ultrasonic cleaning processes utilize a combination of mechanical action provided by the formation and implosion of cavitation bubbles and  chemistry that dissolves and/or promotes the wetting and transfer of mechanical energy to dislodge the contaminants to be removed.  The interactions and effects of chemistry on the ultrasonic process obviously exist but are not well …

The post The Effect of Physical Chemical Properties on Ultrasonic Performance appeared first on CTG Technical Blog.

If you work around ultrasonic cleaning tanks you have probably heard a tank “squeal.”  If you’ve never heard this, (1) consider yourself lucky and (2) be aware that a “squeal” is not the normal hissing sound associated with an operating ultrasonic tank but, rather, an extremely high amplitude sound at an audible frequency that can …

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The physical laws of liquids are a little complex yet a general understanding of them is important to understanding the mechanics of cleaning chemistry in the removal of both soluble and not-so-soluble contaminants from parts.  The general concept was discussed in the blog Chemistry – Solvent Characteristics. This blog will take things a bit further. Question …

The post Soluble or Not? appeared first on CTG Technical Blog.

An earlier blog discussed the mechanics of ultrasonic removal of soluble contaminants.  In many cases, however, it is not the soluble contaminants but, rather, particles that are the primary target of ultrasonic cleaning.  Particles of concern range from a fraction of a micron to several hundreds of microns in size.  Something larger than a BB …

The post The Benefit of Ultrasonic Cavitation and Implosion in Cleaning to Remove Particles appeared first on CTG Technical Blog.

With the availability of ultrasonic cleaning equipment operating at frequencies from 20kHz up to over 250kHz and the capability to use more than one frequency in a single piece of ultrasonic cleaning equipment, users inevitably and rightly question the optimum frequency or frequencies for their cleaning applications.  The popular and most touted notion is that …

The post Particle Size Removal vs. Ultrasonic Frequency appeared first on CTG Technical Blog.

Note – Before we start, there is a nomenclature conundrum when it comes to the term “ultrasonic transducer.”  Through convention, transducer elements, the individual devices that produce ultrasonic vibrations (much like an individual radio speaker), are commonly called “transducers.”  A number of transducer elements working in parallel constitute a transducer array but may be called …

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Ultrasonic cavitation and implosion provide a unique benefit in cleaning unmatched by other means.  So much so that ultrasonic cleaning is often used as a benchmark to judge the effectiveness of other cleaning techniques. The major factors in cleaning are Time, Temperature, Chemistry and Mechanical Effect or Motion (TTCM).  There are other acronyms for these …

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After God knows how many years of looking at that one image of a cavitation bubble presented endlessly with different color variations etc. to “freshen it up” there has emerged some exciting new footage of actual cavitation bubble implosion!  Now, as a start, I don’t think these bubbles, at least the first ones, are the …

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In 2010, a patent was issued to Kaijo Corporation (US 7,726,325) for a method to efficiently and rapidly “degas” liquids.  In short, the process involves passing a liquid through a restriction such as the narrowing of a pipe at a sufficient velocity that rarefication downstream from the restriction (ala Bernoulli’s principle) creates negative pressure to draw …

The post The Case for Micro-Bubbles in Cavitation Enhancement appeared first on CTG Technical Blog.

A preceding blog discussed the possible effect of too many available sites for the formation of cavitation bubbles to the point that there isn’t enough energy available to grow a significant enough portion of them to sufficient size to implode.  This leads to the question that the reverse may be possible as well.  In short, …

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This discussion is a bit anecdotal in nature because my attempts to demonstrate the effects I describe in the following in the laboratory have been less than conclusive.  But, the fact that I have seen them occur on several occasions over a period of more than 50 years gives it a degree of credence.  By this time the …

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Preceding blogs have discussed the inappropriateness of using units of measure such as watts per gallon in describing the power and possible overall effectiveness of an ultrasonic cleaning system.  It is all about energy, but only the energy that results in cavitation bubbles that catastrophically implode really counts!  Before I go further, it will be helpful for …

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I have talked about cavitation extensively in previous blogs.  But what I have neglected to address through an omission on my part is the fact that all cavitation does not produce the effect needed to enhance cleaning – namely, the catastrophic collapse of the cavitation bubble in implosion.  Before reading further, please take a minute …

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Clean rooms are an integral and necessary part of many manufacturing operations.  The goal of a clean room is to provide an environment without airborne contaminants including common dust, aerosols, particles and other contaminants that are suspended in the air everywhere around us.  Although we are relatively unaware of these contaminants in our everyday lives, most …

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As one grows older it is impossible to not occasionally reflect on life and ask, “How did I get here?”  I have been on this earth for a little over 70 years, and, I am convinced that, except for infancy, I have probably been an engineer for my entire life.  I don’t think it is …

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Automatic chemical addition and makeup is an attractive on feature on today’s sophisticated cleaning machines.  Who wouldn’t appreciate eliminating the drudgery of taking samples, titrating, refractometer readings, or whatever and adding chemistry to a cleaning or rinsing bath manually?  The trouble is that automatic chemical makeup is just not possible or applicable in all cases. Although there are …

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In a recent blog, I touched on the fact that there is a limit to how long a cleaning solution will continue to produce clean parts as it becomes increasingly contaminated from use.  Chemistry and disposing of spent chemistry are both expensive.  Changing a bath usually results in a gap in production as the tank(s) …

The post Chemistry Life – When to Dump a Tank appeared first on CTG Technical Blog.

When particles are the enemy, my general rule is filter, filter, filter!  The cost of filtration is small compared to the overall benefit even if it is only “insurance.”  There is, of course, the initial cost of installation (filter housings, pumps, plumbing, etc.) but the cost after that is going to be pretty much fixed provided …

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A few years ago I wrote a post about the possible perils of automated valves.  The thrust of the post was that many automated valves rely on significant line pressure to hold the valve tightly closed.  In applications where there is only gravity pressure, as in drain lines for example, valves that are perfectly effective under high …

The post A Drip Under LACK of Pressure – Check Valves appeared first on CTG Technical Blog.