Simulation of the double emulsion formation through a hierarchical T-junction microchannel

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a practical way to create three kinds of double emulsions such as double emulsion, double-component double emulsion and viscoelastic double emulsion. Design/methodology/approach – A hierarchical T-junction microfluidic device is selected to simulate this phenomenon. A system of the three-phase flows consists of the inner, middle and outer phases were simulated by the direct numerical simulation (DNS) method. The dripping regime is considered for the droplet formation in both T-junctions. The adaptive mesh refinement technique is used to simulate the droplet formation and determine the interface rupture. Findings – The one-step and two-step encapsulation are used to create the double emulsion and the viscoelastic double emulsion, respectively. In both T-junctions, droplets are created by the balance of three parameters which are instability, viscous drag and pressure buildup. The one-step formation of double emulsion is presented for encapsulates the viscoelastic fluid. Originality/value – The simulated hierarchical microchannel shows some desirable features for creating the complex compounds. The encapsulation process is simulated in micro-scale that is useful for drug delivery applications.