Electroosmotic Flow Research Articles

Electroosmotic flow in soft clay and measures to promote movement under direct current electric field.

Electroosmosis has been proposed as a technique to reduce moisture and thus increase the stability of soft clay. However, its high energy consumption and uneven reinforcement effect has limited its popularization and application in practical engineering. This paper presents the results of some electrokinetic tests performed on clayey specimens with different electrification time and anode boundary conditions. The results indicate that the timing of the formation of electroosmotic flow (EF) by the water originally contained in different soil cross sections, from the anode to the cathode, varies. The measuring soil cross section nearest the anode first reached the limiting water content of 22%±3% and electroosmosis had to be stopped. Water injection into the anode during electroosmosis enhanced further drainage of other four measuring soil cross sections until the second soil cross section from the anode reached the limiting water content of 30%±2%. Electroosmosis with water injection into the anode technique provides more uniform reinforcement, increasing EF, and environmental protection. The experimental results highlighted the relevant and expected contribution of water injection into the anode on the effectiveness of the electroosmotic treatment as a soft clay improvement technique.

Surface Reaction of Electroosmotic Flow-Driven Free Antigens With Immobilized Magnetic-Microbeads-Tagged-Antibodies in Microchannels.

Immunoassays based on reactions between target pathogen (antigen; Ag) and antibody (Ab) are frequently used for Ag detection. An external magnetic field was used to immobilize magnetic microbeads-tagged-antibodies (mMB-Ab) on the surface of a microchannel in the capture zone. The mMB-Ab was subsequently used for Ag detection. The objective of this numerical study, with experimental validation, is to assess the surface reaction between mMB-Ab and Ag in the presence of electro-osmotic flow (EOF). First, immobilization of mMB-Ab complex in the wall of the capture zone was achieved. Subsequently, the Ag was transported by EOF toward the capture zone to bind with the immobilized mMB-Ab. Lastly, mMB-Ab:Ag complex was formed and immobilized in the capture zone. A finite volume solver was used to implement the above steps. The surface reaction between the mMB-Ab and Ag was investigated in the presence of electric fields (E): 150 V/cm-450 V/cm and Ag concentrations: 0.001 M-1000 M. The depletion of mMB-Ab increases with time as the E decreases. Furthermore, as the concentration of Ag decreases, the depletion of mMB-Ab increases with time. These results quantify the detection of Ag using the EOF device; thus, signifying its potential for rapid throughput screening of Ag. This platform technology can lead to the development of portable devices for the detection of target cells, pathogens, and biomolecules for testing water systems, biological fluids, and biochemicals.

Exploring microrotational effects and temperature variations in electroosmotic peristalsis in tapered microchannel

AbstractThe current study is based on the effects of microrotational dynamics, microinertial effects, and temperature changes on electroosmotic peristalsis in a tapered microchannel. This has been addressed by an analytical study of heat transfer in the setting of electroosmotic peristaltic flow involving a micropolar fluid, specifically considering a symmetrically tapered channel. The Navier–Stokes equation, the Poisson–Boltzmann equation, the energy equation, and the micropolar fluid model are all included in the mathematical model. On the flow and temperature fields, a thorough parametric analysis is carried out, investigating the impacts of numerous variables, including the micropolar parameter, Prandtl number, Brinkman number, Grashof number, thermal conductivity ratio, and channel aspect ratio. The findings show that peristalsis and electroosmosis both contribute to higher heat transfer rates. Notably, the electroosmotic parameter and Brinkman number have a substantial impact on the distribution of temperature. The micropolar parameter and Brinkman number have a significant effect on the flow and temperature fields. Furthermore, electrokinetic phenomena are crucial in controlling the axial and spin velocities of the micropolar fluid. These findings have significant ramifications for the design and optimization of microfluidic devices in engineering and biomedical applications that employ the electroosmotic peristaltic flow of micropolar fluids.

Thermophysical dynamics of magnetohydrodynamic electroosmotic two phase mixed convective flow in vertical annulus: neuro computation

ABSTRACT The thermophysical dynamics of electro – magnetohydrodynamic mixed convective electrically conducting fluid flow in the vertical cylindrical annulus are explored with electric and magnetic fields. The flow and heat transfer properties are explicitly examined in viscous fluid and electroosmotic flow regions. The coupling between an external pressure gradient, electroosmosis, and an extended electromagnetic field can control fluid flow and heat transfer. The governing equations associated with the physical phenomenon are addressed with the Galerkin finite element method. Eloquently, the analysis revealed that, in the absence of a lateral electric field, the flow velocity decelerates as the Hartmann number increases, which in turn ultimately, causes the Nusselt number to rise. Since a lateral electric field is involved, the flow field, temperature field, and Nusselt number profiles are presented in two regions. The artificial neural network model discusses the thermal transport phenomenon in both regions. The artificial neural network models regression, performance plots, weights, and bias are presented. The research outcome can be utilized to design exquisite and efficacious electromagnetic devices, particularly within a particular range of thermal physical properties.

Sulfonic Functionalized Polydopamine Coatings with pH-Independent Surface Charge for Optimizing Capillary Electrophoretic Separations.

Enhancing the pH-independence and controlling the magnitude of electroosmotic flow (EOF) are critical for highly efficient and reproducible capillary electrophoresis (CE) separations. Herein, we present a novel capillary modification method utilizing sulfonated periodate-induced polydopamine (SPD) coating to achieve pH-independent and highly reproducible cathodic EOF in CE. The SPD-coated capillaries were obtained through post-sulfonation treatment of periodate-induced PDA (PDA-SP) coatings adhered on the capillary inner surface. The successful immobilization of the SPD coating and the substantial grafting of sulfonic acid groups were confirmed by a series of characterization techniques. The excellent capability of PDA-SP@capillary in masking silanol groups and maintaining a highly robust EOF mobility was verified. Additionally, the parameters of sulfonation affecting the EOF mobilities were thoroughly examined. The obtained optimum SPD-coated column offered the anticipated highly pH-independent and high-strength cathodic EOF, which is essential for enhancing the CE separation performance and improving analysis efficiency. Consequently, the developed SPD-coated capillaries enabled successful high-efficiency separation of aromatic acids and nucleosides and rapid cyclodextrin-based chiral analysis of racemic drugs. Moreover, the SPD-coated columns exhibited a long lifetime and demonstrated good intra-day, inter-day, and column-to-column repeatability.

A Mini Review on Electroosmotic Phenomena in Porous Media

Electroosmosis phenomenon in porous media finds widespread applications in various fields such as microfluidic systems, polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, oil and gas engineering, wastewater sludge dewatering and groundwater dynamics etc. Therefore, the electroosmotic flow mechanism in porous media have attracted broad interests from multiple disciplines. This paper provides an overview on the physical mechanisms and mathematical models for electroosmosis in porous media. The background of electric double layer theory and state-of-art research progress on pore-scale models for electroosmotic flow through porous media are reviewed. Two typical and significant research topics, electroosmosis under pressure coupling effect and nanoscale electroosmotic phenomena, are then focused on. The advances in theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and experimental measurements are summarized. Finally, the potential research directions for the electroosmotic flow in porous media are addressed out.

Investigation of Generalized Fourier and Fick’s Law of Electro-Osmotic MHD Two-Phase Flow of Dusty Hybrid Ferrofluid Through Inclined Microchannel

Numerous industries, including biology and medicine, stand to benefit greatly from the cutting-edge use of electro-osmotic MHD flow of hybrid Ferro fluid via a microchannel. To investigate the electroosmotic MHD flow of a hybrid Ferro fluid with dust particles, we use a microchannel inclined vertically. We also take into account the magnetic field’s transverse component. The impacts of heat and mass transfer within this fluid system are the focus of this investigation. Partial differential equations are a powerful tool for modeling the aforementioned physical phenomena. The classical system is further fractionalized into a nondimensional form by using suitable nondimensional variables, free of dimensions, the generalized Fourier transform, and Fick’s rule. The Caputo derivative is used as a starting point for generalizations. The analytical solutions for the velocity (containing the hybrid Ferro fluid and dusty fluid), temperature, and concentration profiles are obtained using a mixture of Laplace and Fourier methods. The research looks at how things like temperature, stress (Grashof, Schmidt, and Prandtl numbers), and the dusty fluid parameter affect one another. The concentration distributions are analyzed, and graphs are presented to help visualize the results. The average values for the Sherwood number, the heat transfer rate, and the coefficient of skin friction are provided. Notably, the fractional models provide more leeway in finding workable solutions since they are more precise. All things considered, it seems that these strategies are quite beneficial. The hybrid Ferro fluid has the capacity to effectively modify the velocity boundary layer and has a greater heat transfer rate than both nanofluid and conventional fluid.

Dynamic interactions in MHD Jeffrey fluid: Exploring peristalsis, electro osmosis and homogeneous/heterogeneous chemical reactions

This paper investigates the behavior of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) peristaltic flow with electroosmosis. The Jeffrey fluid in microchannel under the influence of homogeneous-heterogeneous chemical reaction has been taken. The heat absorption and nonlinear radiation are also scrutinized here. This study contributes to the fundamental understanding of complex fluid dynamics in microscale systems and offer valuable insights for designing and optimizing microfluidic devices. In the framework of mathematical simulation, the relevant dimensional nonlinear equations are reduced into dimensionless equations by using linear transformations. Thus Debye-Hückel linearization has been employed. The streamline approach with mathematical modelling has been performed within the limits of δ≪1 and Re→0. The appropriate equations for temperature and concentration with boundary conditions are solved by using perturbation approach whereas, the exact solution is found for velocity equation. A graphical depiction of crucial physical characteristics on velocity, temperature, concentration and streamlines are reported in the last section. It is observed that the velocity distribution decreases for the higher value of M (0.5≤M≤2) however, it increases for the escalating values of Uhs (−0.5≤Uhs≤1.5). When Rn(0.1≤Rn≤0.6) gets stronger then temperature profile decreases. It is noticed that the concentration profile decays owing to enhancement in Sc(−0.5≤Sc≤1.5). As the M (0.5≤M≤2) increases, the size of trapped bolus decreases. Escalating values of temperature ratio parameterθw(1.0≤θw≤1.6)enhances the Nusselt number. The novelty of this study lies in the comprehensive analysis of multiple complex phenomena in a single framework. The interplay between MHD electroosmotic flow, homogeneous heterogeneous chemical reactions, peristalsis, nonlinear thermal radiation, heat absorption and no-slip condition has not been explored in previous research.

Periodic electroosmotic flow of nanofluids with slip-dependent high zeta potential

The time periodic electroosmotic flow of nanofluids is investigated analytically in a hydrophobic microchannel. In this study, we consider the interdependence relationship between the wall electrical potential and slip. According to the non-linear slip-dependent zeta potential, we obtain an analytical solution of electrical potential for arbitrary value of wall electrical potential. Subsequently, we give the analytical integration expression of time periodic electroosmotic velocity of nanofluids. Based on the obtained electrical potential distribution, the oscillating flow velocity and rate are calculated numerically. The flow characteristics are determined by the oscillating frequency of electrical field, the volume fraction of nanoparticles and wall electrical potential. The noteworthy results are that, the oscillating electrical field can result in the oscillation of nanofluids. However, such oscillation is strongly dependent on the electrical field frequency and the flow characteristics are significantly different for various frequencies. Moreover, when the nanoparticles are introduced into the time periodic electroosmotic flow, the oscillation can be restrained. This may be helpful to understand the electrohydrodynamic instability of nanofluids.

Numerical modeling and experimental optimization of Taylor dispersion analysis with and without an electric field.

Numerical modeling of Taylor dispersion analysis (TDA) was performed using COMSOL Multiphysics to facilitate better and faster optimization of the experimental conditions. Parameters, such as pressure, electric field, diameter, and length of capillary on the TDA conditions, were examined for particles with hydrodynamic radius (Rh) of 2.5-250Å. The simulations were conducted using 25, 50, and 100cm length tubes with diameters of 25, 50, and 100µm. It was shown that particles with larger diffusion coefficients gave more accurate results at higher velocities, and in longer and wider columns; particles with smaller diffusion coefficients gave more accurate results at smaller velocities, and in shorter and thinner columns. Moreover, the effect of electric field on the validity and the applicability of TDA was studied using TDA in conjunction with capillary electrophoresis. Diffusion coefficients were obtained using a pressure and the TDA equation and compared with those obtained with a pressure in combination of an electric field for fluorescein, FD4, FD20, FD70, and FD500. We found that TDA can be used with the presence of moderate electrophoretic migration and electroosmotic flow, when appropriate conditions were met.

Electroosmotic and Gyrotactic Microorganisms Effects on MHD Al2O3-Cu/Blood Hybrid Nanofluid Flow through Multi-Stenosed Bifurcated Artery.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the electroosmotic flow of a hybrid nanofluid (Al2O3-Cu/Blood) with gyrotactic microorganisms through a bifurcated artery with mild stenosis in both parent and daughter arteries. The flow is subjected to a uniform magnetic field, viscous dissipation, and a heat source. The governing equations undergo the non-dimensional transformation and coordinate conversion to regularize irregular boundaries, then solve the resulting system using the Crank-Nicolson method. In both sections of the bifurcated artery (parent and daughter artery), the wall shear stress (WSS) profile decreases with increasing stenotic depth. Nusselt profile increases with an increase in the heat source parameter. The present endeavour can be beneficial for designing better biomedical devices and gaining insight into the hemodynamic flow for therapeutic applications in the biomedical sciences.

Proton Transport, Electroosmotic Drag and Oxygen Permeation in Polytetrafluoroethylene Reinforced Ionomer Membranes and Their Effects on Fuel Cell Performance

Abstract With the increasing need for high power density of proton exchange membrane fuel cells, new composite membranes have been explored for superior proton transport and gas impermeability. These membranes’ physicochemical properties usually deviate from existing empirical formulas, which are poorly understood, especially when mechanical deformation occurs. This poor understanding hinders development of novelty membranes and their fuel cell applications. Here, using polytetrafluoroethylene reinforced ionomer membrane as an example, we conducted extensive water absorption experiments to determine hydration levels at different water activities. Molecular dynamics simulations and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to investigate the impacts of hydration level, external electric field strength, and tensile deformation on proton transport and electroosmotic drag coefficient, as well as the impact of hydration level and free volume ratio on oxygen permeability. We proposed mathematical correlations for these impacts and incorporated them into a single-cell voltage model to analyze their effects on fuel cell performance. Results show that an increase in the electric field strength alters the proton transport pattern, but has minimal impact on the electro-osmosis coefficient. The oxygen permeability coefficient of a deformed membrane with a free volume ratio of 28.57% is more than two orders of magnitude higher than that of a non-deformed membrane. The electro-osmatic drag coefficient imposes a larger influence on fuel cell performance than oxygen permeability

Numerical Approach for Induced MHD Sutterby Fluid Flow with Electro-osmosis's function for chemical reaction and heat dissipation across the Wedge

The primary focus of this article is on an electro-osmosis-based interpretation of the two-dimensional movement of an incompressible Sutterby nanofluid flow across a stretching wedge-shaped geometry. Thermal dissipation, double diffusivity, concentration and momentum association are also incorporated. Nanofluids are expected to improve the ability of heat-transfer fluids to convey heat more efficiently. Because the dimensionless equations related to our work are difficult to solve manually, we employ the MATLAB bvp4c technique to depict the graphical behavior of various parameters. The primary inquiry is that electro-osmosis causes a decrease in fluid velocity. The velocity field descends by an increment of the viscosity and magnetic field parameters but escalates against the inclined magnetic field parameter. The radiation variable parameter surges the temperature field while de-escalating the concentration and double diffusivity profile. Our investigation shows that the Brownian and thermophoresis diffusion coefficients encounter temperature increases at first, then slow down as both parameters are extended farther. The repercussion of an Inclined magnetic field is demarcated that how the occupancy of an Inclined magnetic field factor delays the velocity of Sutterby fluid. Electro-osmotic flow is a prevalent technology used in the chemical evaluationand microfluidic devices with high-voltage surfaces.

Stability analysis of electro-osmotic flow in a rotating microchannel

We investigate the linear stability analysis of rotating electro-osmotic flow in confined and unconfined configurations by appealing to the Debye–Hückel approximation. Pertaining to flow in confined and unconfined domains, the stability equations are solved using the Galerkin method to obtain the stability picture. Both qualitative and quantitative aspects of Ekman spirals are examined in stable and unstable scenarios within the unconfined domain. Within the confined domain, the variation of the real growth rate and the transition to instability are analysed using the modified Routh–Hurwitz criteria, employed for the first time in this context. The stability of the underlying flow, characterized by the number of roots with a positive real part, is determined by establishing a Routhian table. The inferences of this analysis show that the velocity plane produces intriguing closed Ekman spirals, which diminish in size with an increase in the rotation speed $\omega$ . The Ekman spirals in the stable region exhibit a distinct discontinuity, indicating the dissipation of disturbances over time. In the confined domain, the flow appears consistently stable for a set of involved parameters pertinent to this analysis, such as electrokinetic parameter $K=1.5$ and rotational parameter $\omega$ approximately up to $6$ . However, the flow instabilities become evident for $K=1.5$ and $\omega \geq 6$ .

A Light-Powered Micropump with Dynamic Collective Behavior for Reparation.

Inspired by the collective behaviors of active systems in nature, the collective behavior of micromotors has attracted more and more attention in recent years. However, little attention has been paid to the collective behavior of the immobilized micromotor, i.e., the micropump. In this paper, a unique pentacene-based micropump is reported, which demonstrates dynamic collective behavior activated by white light irradiation. The light irradiation may generate the photochemical reactions between pentacene and water, leading to the electroosmotic flow. As a result, this micropump is capable of pumping the surrounding solution inward along the substrate surface based on the electroosmosis mechanism. Intriguingly, the inward pumping causes the agglomeration of the tracer particles on the surface of the micropump. In addition, the aggregation can migrate following the change in the light irradiation position between two adjacent micropumps. Based on the aggregating and migrating behaviors of this pentacene-based micropump, we have achieved the conductivity restoration of the cracked circuit.

Electroosmotic microchannel flow of blood conveying copper and cupric nanoparticles: Ciliary motion experiencing entropy generation using backpropagated networks

AbstractA novel mathematical model for a hybrid (Cu–CuO/blood) Jeffrey nanofluid passing a vertical symmetric microchannel along with an electroosmosis pump is presented. The focuses on the advancement of mathematical modeling techniques, its comprehensive analysis of microfluidic system dynamics, and its potential to inform the optimal design of devices using nanofluids with broad applications in various fields. Arrhenius's law is used to analyze endothermic–exothermic reactions and activation energy. The governing partial differential equations of the fixed frame are transformed into ordinary differential equations of the wave frame using self‐similarity transformations. Low Reynolds number and long‐wavelength approximations helped to find solutions of the equations by applying a suitable BVP solver in MATLAB. The fluid's velocity, temperature, concentration, and electroosmosis properties are studied graphically. Two‐dimensional contour plots of fluid velocity and three‐dimensional surface plots of fluid properties are discussed. Physically significant quantities of mass transfer rate, skin friction coefficient, entropy generation, and heat transfer rate are studied using contour plots. Artificial neural network simulation using Bayesian regularization backpropagation algorithms is analyzed for training state, error histogram, fit, performance, and regression plots. Conclusively, the comprehensive analysis of the fluid dynamics, entropy generation, mass and heat transfer, and in the microchannel, coupled with the successful implementation of artificial neural network simulation, contributes to an improved understanding of the system's behavior. Entropy generation was raised for enhanced Brownian motion number and reduced values of thermophoresis, activation energy, and endothermic–exothermic reaction parameters. This study's results can be used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of microfluidic devices used in fields as diverse as electrical cooling and medicine delivery.

Modeling water transport in polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzers using a one-dimensional transport model

In this paper, we present a one-dimensional transport model for water transport across Nafion® membranes in a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer. This physics-based model is based on the three main water transport mechanisms: diffusion, electro-osmotic drag, and pressure-driven flow. A good agreement is obtained between the model predictions using the measured values of the physical parameters as inputs and the previously reported experimental data. Further, with the help of this simple transport model, the numerical analysis is performed to delineate the effect of electrolyzer operating conditions on the net water transport across the membrane, water condensation at the cathode, individual contribution of the transport fluxes, and electrolyzer design. Finally, the model is exercised to simulate the dependence of water transport as a function of membrane thickness. This confirms the validity of the current approach of using thin reinforced membranes by electrolyzer fabricators.

Confined Transport Behavior of Biomolecules within Tilted Nanopores.

The transport behavior of biomolecules at the confined nanoscale is very different from that of the bulk state. Numerous disease diagnostics and targeted drug treatments are performed based on nanochannels in cells. The specific structure and shape of nanochannels play an important role in the behavior and efficiency of substance transport. In this paper, we fabricated nanopores with different tilt angles and the same diameters using focused ion beam. The capture frequency and the blocking current amplitude of λ-DNA within large-angle nanopores decrease obviously, suggesting an increase in the energy barrier of large-angle nanopores and the fact that they stretch biomolecules to thinness. Most importantly, large-angle nanopores slow down λ-DNA transport by 2-4 times. MD simulations find that the sloped electroosmotic flow inside the tilted nanopores is the main factor contributing to the transport phenomena. The increase in the capture time of biomolecules by nanopores assists in obtaining more biological information from the current trajectories. Our study provides a new understanding of substance transport in specially shaped nanopores, which can be instrumental in providing fresh inspiration and approaches to the biomedical field.

A theoretical analysis of rotating electromagnetohydrodynamic and electroosmotic transport of couple stress fluid through a microchannel

AbstractThe main motivation behind this research work is the electroosmotic flow (EOF), which characterizes the movement of charged particles in a fluid when subjected to an external electric field, which offers precise control over fluid movement without mechanical components. The study of bio‐fluids in rotating microfluidic platforms is becoming much more significant. Hence, it is important to discuss the non‐Newtonian fluids in such environments. This paper analytically investigates the hydrodynamic characteristics of combined electromagnetohydrodynamic (EMHD) and EOF transport of non‐Newtonian fluid through a rotating microchannel with Navier‐slip boundary conditions at the walls. The couple stress fluid model is considered a non‐Newtonian fluid in the flow domain. The linearized Poisson‐Boltzmann equation is considered inside the electric double layer (EDL). The modified Stokes equation is governed by a combined imposed magnetic and EOF field. Closed form expressions are obtained for electrical potential, flow velocity, and volume flow rate in the channel using analytical methods. The dependence of rotating electromagnetic flow velocity and flow rates on appropriate parameters is explained. It is found that the rotational flow velocity displays an opposite pattern when the couple stress parameter and electric field intensity parameters are varied due to the influence of channel rotation. It is also found that the secondary flow rate ratio is amplified with the Hartmann number and slip length parameter, due to the stronger impact of the non‐Newtonian behaviour than the Newtonian situation on the volume flow rate at a relatively higher rotational value. The findings of this study may aid in the design and analysis of practical thermal micro/nano‐equipment for transporting biofluids.

Computational study of non-Newtonian electro-osmotic flow between micro-parallel plates subject to Joule heating and exothermic reactions

Computational study of non-Newtonian electro-osmotic flow between micro-parallel plates subject to Joule heating and exothermic reactions