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Theoretical modeling of acoustofluidic systems faces extreme challenges as the thickness of the thermoviscous boundary layer is very small compared to the microscale fluid dimensions. The classical pressure acoustic model overcomes these difficulties and is extensively used in simulating three-dimensional (3D) or large two-dimensional (2D) acoustofluidic systems. However, this model cannot be applied to thermoviscous acoustofluidics, as it does not consider energy conservation. Modeling thermoviscous acoustofluidic systems is, therefore, difficult and restricted to small 2D systems only. Here, we have developed a thermo-pressure acoustic model that can effectively simulate thermoviscous acoustofluidic systems. The model has been validated with the full model by performing numerical simulations for a small 2D acoustofluidic system for which capturing the acoustic boundary layer effect is feasible using the full model. After successful validation, we demonstrate that the thermo-pressure acoustic model can also be applied to studying 3D acoustofluidic systems. 

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices can generate significant heat due to acoustic damping when liquid droplets are placed on them, and this heating (acoustothermal heating) can be used for microscale heating purposes. However, SAW devices are often used in biosensing applications where significant acoustothermal temperature rise can damage the proteins or the biomolecules and destroy the sensor performances. In this paper, we have performed thermal camera-based experiments to study the heating phenomena and how they can be controlled by varying droplet sizes. We found that the temperature rise linearly increases with increasing SAW power whereas it decreases with increasing droplet volume. Hence, a larger liquid volume and lower SAW power can be used in biosensors to avoid significant heating.