Acoustic wave drying method

1. A method for drying a material, comprising:

receiving air from an airflow source into an air inlet of an acoustic resonant chamber;

directing the received air out of the acoustic resonant chamber through an air outlet onto the material which is spaced apart from the outlet by a gap distance;

wherein the acoustic resonant chamber includes:

a primary air channel having side surfaces connecting the air inlet and the air outlet, the primary air channel having a primary air channel length between the air inlet and the air outlet; and

one or more secondary closed-end resonant chambers formed into a side surface of the primary air channel, the secondary closed-end resonant chambers having side surfaces and secondary resonant chamber lengths;

wherein an acoustic pressure provided at a surface of the material is at least 125 dB-SPL, and wherein the air directed onto the material impinges on the surface of the material with an air velocity of no more than 40 m/s.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the primary air channel length and the secondary resonant chamber lengths are selected such that more than 70% of the acoustic energy is imparted in a single main resonant mode.

3. The method of claim 1 further including one or more tertiary closed-end resonant chambers formed into a side surface of the secondary closed-end resonant chambers, the tertiary closed-end resonant chambers having tertiary resonant chamber lengths.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein an acoustic pressure provided at the surface of the material is at least 135 dB-SPL.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the channel length, the secondary resonant chamber lengths and the tertiary resonant chamber lengths are selected such that more than 70% of the acoustic energy is imparted at the main resonant mode.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the gap distance is adjusted to position the material substantially at a displacement node of a main resonant mode.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the gap distance is adjusted during the operation of the acoustic wave drying system by:

using a microphone system to measure an acoustic frequency of the main resonant mode in the air directed onto the material;

determining a position of the displacement node of the main resonant mode responsive to the measured acoustic frequency; and

adjusting the gap distance so that the material is substantially positioned at the displacement node.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the gap distance is adjusted by adjusting a position of the material or by adjusting a position of the acoustic resonant chamber.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein jet edges having an acute jet edge angle are formed where the secondary closed-end resonant chambers join with the primary air channel.

10. The acoustic wave drying system of claim 9 wherein the jet edge angle is selected to maximize the amount of acoustic energy imparted in a main resonant mode.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the acoustic energy is generated passively by the movement of the transiting air through the acoustic resonant chamber.

12. The method of claim 1 further including an active acoustic transducer positioned within the acoustic resonant chamber controlled to stimulate resonance at a specified acoustic frequency.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the material is an ink receiver medium having an image-wise ink deposit or a web medium coated with a liquid coating.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the air provided airflow source is heated using a heat source.