Mixing enhancement in microfluidic channel with a constriction under periodic electro-osmotic flow
We present a new approach to enhance mixing in T-type micromixers by introducing a constriction in the microchannel under periodic electro-osmotic flow. Two sinusoidal ac electric fields with 180° phase difference and similar dc bias are applied at the two inlets. The out of phase ac electric field...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2013
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/96938 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/10196 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Institution: | Nanyang Technological University |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | We present a new approach to enhance mixing in T-type micromixers by introducing a constriction in the microchannel under periodic electro-osmotic flow. Two sinusoidal ac electric fields with 180° phase difference and similar dc bias are applied at the two inlets. The out of phase ac electric field induces oscillation of fluid interface at the junction of the two inlet channels and the constriction. Due to the constriction introduced at the junction, fluids from these two inlets form alternative plugs at the constricted channel. These plugs of fluids radiate downstream from the constriction into the large channel and form alternate thin crescent-shaped layers of fluids. These crescent-shaped layers of fluids increase tremendously the contact surface area between the two streams of fluid and thus enhance significantly the mixing efficiency. Experimental results and mixing mechanism analysis show that amplitude and frequency of the ac electric field and the length of the constriction govern the mixing efficiency. |
|---|