Coulomb Driven Electro-Convection within Two Stacked Layers of Miscible Dielectric Liquids

Abstract

This article investigates the behavior of two parallel layers of different miscible dielectric liquids enclosed and sandwiched between two electrodes. By applying an electric potential to one electrode while grounding the other, electro-convection occurs when the electric Rayleigh number exceeds a critical value, setting the fluid into motion and resulting in rapid mixing between the two liquids. A numerical model is developed to account for the varying ionic mobility and permittivity of the two liquids, considering their evolution based on the relative concentration field. The simulations confirm that electro-convection significantly enhances the mixing between the two liquids, as expected. Additionally, intriguing ripples are observed near the initial interface during the early stages of electro-convection instability growth. To explain and describe the flow dynamics in terms of stability analysis, a semi-analytical model is presented. This study provides insights into the mixing behavior and flow dynamics of miscible dielectric liquids under the influence of electro-convection. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms and can be valuable for applications such as microfluidics, energy conversion, and mixing processes. Further research is encouraged to explore additional parameters and optimize the control of electro-convection for practical applications.