Abstract
In this study a biophysical passive micromixer with channel anamorphosis in a space of 370 μm, which is shorter than traditional passive micromixers, could be created by mimicing features of vascular flow networks and executed with Reynolds numbers ranging from 1 to 90. Split and recombination (SAR) was the main mixing method for enhancing the convection effect and promoting the mixing performance in the biophysical channel. The 2D numerical results reveal that good mixing efficiency of the mixer was possible, with εmixing = 0.876 at Reynolds number ration Rer = 0.85. Generally speaking, increasing the Reynolds number will enhance the mixing. In addition, the sidewall effect will influence the mixing performance and an optimal mixing performance with εmixing = 0.803 will occur at an aspect ratio of AR = 2. These findings will be useful for enhancing mixing performance for passive micromixers.
Highlights
Microfluidic systems have been widely applied in biochemical, biological and chemical analysis for their potential and advantages, such as the need for small amounts of sample and reagent, less time consumption, lower cost and high throughput
; μ is the Schmidt number to represent the ratio of viscosity effect to diffusion effect; W is the width of outlet channel, V is the velocity vector, t is time, p denotes pressure, Ci represents mole concentration, V0 is the characteristic velocity, μ is the fluid viscosity, ρ is the density of fluid, and Dij is the mass diffusivity
To address the effect of the different inlet flow conditions on the mixing performance, a parameter denoted as Rer defined in (6) was set for the Reynolds number ratio: Re r =
Summary
Microfluidic systems have been widely applied in biochemical, biological and chemical analysis for their potential and advantages, such as the need for small amounts of sample and reagent, less time consumption, lower cost and high throughput. An active micromixer requires some external power to facilitate mixing. These external energy sources cause a periodic variation of flow rates, microimpellers, ultrasonic, and so on [3,4,5]. Their structures are often complicated and require a complex fabrication process as a transmission mechanism between the external energy source and the mixing chamber is needed. In active micromixers the mixing time and microchannel length required for uniform mixing are generally less than those for passive micromixers. The relatively higher power consumption and cost make active mixers less attractive for disposable applications
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