Formation of Droplets in a T-Junction Microfluidic Device Using the Lattice Boltzmann Method

Abstract

In recent years, microfluidic devices that generate micron sized droplets/bubbles have found widespread applications in drug delivery, microanalysis, tumor destruction, as ultrasound agents and in chemical reactions at the micron level. In the current work, simulations results are being presented for a T-junction device for formation of micron-sized droplets using the lattice Boltzmann method. In this work, the key parameters of interest for estimating the frequency and volume of the generated droplets are the flow rates and viscosities of the two fluids, and the geometry of the flow channel. Simulations at low Capillary number indicate that droplets formed occupy the whole volume of the main channel and undergo a squeezing regime. At higher Ca, droplets of size smaller than the width of the channel are formed, and the frequency is dependent on the flow rates of the two liquids. The effect of the width of the dispersed and continuous phase channels is also investigated.