Effects of geometry and flow rate on the mixing process in passive Y-micromixer

Abstract

In this work, we look at the mixing capabilities of a static Y-micromixer, which achieves very good mixing quality when compared to other recently proposed micromixers in terms of mixing quality. We propose to change both the quantity and arrangement of element pairs. The 3D momentum equations, continuity equation, and species transport equations have all been solved numerically at moderate Reynolds numbers using the CFD Fluent tool. The lengthening of the Y-shape is determined by the quantity of pairings. A comprehensive analysis was conducted by varying the number and position of element pairs across a broad spectrum of Reynolds numbers, ranging from 1 to 400. The numerical simulations examined the acquired outcomes by displaying the contours of mass fraction, vorticity, mixing performance and pressure losses in various planes. The chosen geometry, consisting of 4 pairs of components, has exceptional mixing capabilities. The mixing index surpasses 47% at Re = 1 and achieves a maximum of 99% at Re = 400. Furthermore, it exhibits a reduced pressure drop in comparison to other recently examined geometries. Hence, the chosen micromixer demonstrates excellent mixing capabilities at moderate Reynolds numbers, rendering it suited for improving fluid mixing in diverse microfluidics systems.