Electrohydrodynamic Effects Research Articles

Electrohydrodynamic effect within CFRP laminates by bipolar nsPDC electric field during the curing process

In this paper, a new method based on bipolar nanosecond pulsed superimposed direct current (nsPDC) electric field assisted curing technique was developed to fabricate modified fiber-reinforced composites to enhance their mechanical properties. It was found that the mode I interlaminar fracture toughness of the electric field-modified CFRP laminates reached 1014.2 MPa, which increased by 80.4 %. The average tensile strength and tensile modulus were 2180 MPa and 100780 MPa, respectively, which were 20.7 % and 3.5 % higher than the blank control group. The enhancement mechanism was explored by COMSOL simulation, curing temperature inspection, and microscopic characterization by electron microscopy. The results show that the presence of electric field and electric field force inside the laminate, which affects the flow of resin and the weak migration of fibers, enables the elimination of larger air bubbles present in the material, the reduction of resin-rich zones in the interlayer as well as the improvement of the fiber-resin wettability without significantly altering the curing temperature. The proposed simple, convenient, and environmentally friendly strategy can effectively regulate some of the deficiencies in the conventional manufacturing methods and thus is suitable for the optimal design of fiber-reinforced composites.

Electrohydrodynamic characteristics of a needle-to-ring positive corona discharges: self-consistent modeling and turbulence effects

Abstract We report on the voltage-current characteristics as well as the voltage-velocity characteristics of a needle-to-ring configuration by self-consistent, 2D-axisymmetric, multi-physics plasma-fluid simulations. Parametric studies are performed to investigate the effects of background ionization level on the plasma electrical characteristics as well as turbulence parameters on the resulting flow. Our results show that the discharge and the flow exhibit an annular structure around the needle (anode) tip, with a maximum positive ion density from 1.5×1018 - 2.7×1018 m-3 and a maximum flow velocity (ionic wind) from 10 - 15 m/s, for overvoltages between 4 - 12 kV and an anode-cathode distance of 20 mm. Good overall agreement with experimental findings is achieved, noting that background ionization level can be used as a tuning parameter to better match experimentally measured current values even with a simplified plasma-chemistry. A better agreement between simulation and experiments is achieved concerning the voltage-velocity curves. Therefore, the latter are likely to be better indicators for assessing and validating electrohydrodynamic effects of corona actuators through numerical modeling. The flow dynamics indicate that positive-corona-induced ionic winds are most likely laminar to turbulent transitional flows, with a ratio between eddy viscosity and air viscosity varying between 0 - 200.

One-step E-Jet printing of loofah-like ZnO nanostructures by real-time laser zone irradiation

Loofah-like nanostructures have been applied in many fields because of their high specific surface area, high porosity, and low density. Developing additive manufacturing methods for loofah-like nanostructures remains a challenge. This paper proposed a novel E-Jet nanoprinting method with real-time laser zone irradiation, for one-step fabricating of loofah-like ZnO nanostructures. The combination of laser irradiation and electrohydrodynamic effect had been proved in detail by adding laser irradiation to the traditional E-Jet printing process. Printable ZnO inks were prepared. The numerical model of the jetting under the combination of flow field and electric field; and the model of the interaction between laser and printing structure were established respectively. The laser beam irradiated the printing structure in real-time to rapidly absorb energy, resulting in thermal expansion and thermal decomposition. The shock wave generated by laser irradiation induced the physical fragmentation and redistribution of particles in the printed structure. Printing at different laser powers was investigated; and the loofah-like ZnO nanostructures, down to the scale of ∼90 nm, have been directly printed without post-processing. The characteristic morphology and hydrophilic characteristics of the printed structure were studied. This study provided a new way for green and efficient additive fabrication of loofah-like nanostructures, which was of significance for the development of nanofabrication and nanodevices.

Mesoporous chochleate particles doped liquid crystal as normally transparent smart window

A composite layer of homogeneously aligned liquid crystal (LC) doped with nano or mesoporous microparticles (NMPs) has been shown to act as normally opaque smart window (SW) in what is called NMP-LC mode. The porosity of the particle plays two important roles: (i) When the LC infiltrates the particle, it brings its refractive index to be closer to that of its LC surrounding at a certain orientation of the LC molecules and creates a large index mismatch at the orthogonal orientation; (ii) the LC infiltration brings the porous particle density to be closer to the surrounding LC, thus preventing precipitation and floating. Here we demonstrate that LC doped with cochleate cigar-shaped hollow particles and using DMOAP as an alignment layer acts as a normally transparent smart window. Under voltage, the best scenario that explains the polarization-independent scattering is to have the cochleate particles inclined at an angle to balance the dielectric with the elastic forces effectively. The emergence of the scattering mode results from the symbiotic interplay of two distinct phenomena – the NMP effect and the electro-hydrodynamic instability effect. The synergy between these two effects manifests in lower operating voltage and frequency requirements for the device, hence less energy consumption. The scattering increases between 30 °C and 50 °C, thus it acts as a self-adjustable window giving more shade as the outside temperature rises. The threshold voltage is found to decrease with temperature. The SW exhibits high transparency in the OFF state, and high haze in the ON state, and the durability test shows that the SW switches for at least 6 days without degradation of optical contrast.

Active microparticle propulsion pervasively powered by asymmetric AC field electrophoresis

HypothesisSymmetry breaking in an electric field-driven active particle system can be induced by applying a spatially uniform, but temporally non-uniform, alternating current (AC) signal. Regardless of the type of particles exposed to sawtooth AC signals, the unevenly induced polarization of the ionic charge layer leads to a major electrohydrodynamic effect of active propulsion, termed Asymmetric Field Electrophoresis (AFEP). ExperimentsSuspensions containing latex microspheres of three sizes, as well as Janus and metal-coated particles were subjected to sawtooth AC signals of varying voltages, frequencies, and time asymmetries. Particle tracking via microscopy was used to analyze their motility as a function of the key parameters. FindingsThe particles exhibit field-colinear active propulsion, and the temporal reversal of the AC signal results in a reversal of their direction of motion. The experimental velocity data as a function of field strength, frequency, and signal asymmetry are supported by models of asymmetric ionic concentration-polarization. The direction of particle migration exhibits a size-dependent crossover in the low frequency domain. This enables new approaches for simple and efficient on-chip sorting. Combining AFEP with other AC motility mechanisms, such as induced-charge electrophoresis, allows multiaxial control of particle motion and could enable development of novel AC field-driven active microsystems.

Compound effect of EHD and nanofluid on flow boiling characteristics in minichannels

In this study, electrohydrodynamic (EHD) and nanofluid were synergistically employed to improve minichannel flow boiling. R141b, TiO2/R141b and TiO2/Span80/R141b nanofluids are employed as working fluids. Flow boiling characteristics in minichannels under electric field were evaluated experimentally. Laser confocal microscope was used to examine the effect of EHD and surfactant on nanofluid stability, particularly nanoparticle deposition on heated surfaces. Electric field can effectively enhance heat transfer, and the enhancement is more significant for nanofluids compared to pure fluid. Heat transfer performance is higher for TiO2/R141b than TiO2/Span80/R141b, while TiO2/Span80/R141b shows higher pressure drop than TiO2/R141b. The maximum enhancement ratio of 1.58 and 1.85 is found for TiO2/R141b and TiO2/Span80/R141b under electric field. Besides, heat transfer mechanism enhanced by EHD and nanofluid was discussed. Nanofluid stabilization induced by electric field and surfactant play crucial role in EHD enhancement for nanofluid. The findings suggest that TiO2/Span80/R141b nanofluid is well-suited for integration with EHD.

Impact of drops of epoxy resin and hardener, silicone and turpentine oils onto balsa wood and polypropylene substrates

Electrowetting and wettability-driven spreading of liquids on porous and nonporous substrates was investigated using impact of drops of epoxy resin, epoxy hardener, and epoxy resin and hardener, as well as silicone and turpentine oils with oil-soluble aniline dyes onto balsa wood and polypropylene surfaces. The experimental results revealed that the electric field stretched drops of epoxy resin, epoxy hardener, and epoxy resin and hardener after impact on polypropylene substrate in the long-term. The spreading of drops of epoxy resin and turpentine oil with dyes after impact onto porous balsa wood under the action of a 10 kV applied voltage was relatively weak. In addition, the measured footprint areas corresponding to drops of epoxy resin, epoxy hardener, and epoxy resin and hardener demonstrated a significant increase in the wetted areas driven by the applied voltage of 10 kV on polypropylene substrate, whereas on balsa wood, the footprint is practically unaffected by the electric field. Furthermore, it was determined that surface wettability was the main mechanism of spreading of epoxy resin, as well as silicone and turpentine oils with aniline dyes on porous balsa without the electric field applied. On the other hand, insufficient concentration of ions and counterions in silicone oil was responsible for the absence of electrohydrodynamic effects after impact of such drops onto porous balsa substrate subjected to high potentials of 7 and 10 kV. Hence, wettability-driven spreading with imbibition on balsa wood was the only reason for an increase in the wetted area in the case of silicone oil.

Investigating atomization characteristics in an electrostatic rotary bell atomizer

Electrostatic rotary bell atomizers are commonly used in several engineering applications, including the automobile industry. A high-speed rotating nozzle operating in a strong background electric field atomizes paint into charged droplets that range from a few micrometers to tens of micrometers in diameter. The atomization process directly determines the droplet size and droplet charge distributions which subsequently control the transfer efficiency and the surface finish quality. We have previously developed a tool to perform high fidelity simulations of near-bell atomization with electrohydrodynamic effects. In this work, we perform simulations employed with a droplet ancestry extraction tool to analyze previously inaccessible information and understand the physical processes driving atomization. We find that the electric field accelerates breakup processes and enhances secondary atomization. The total number of droplets, the ratio of secondary to primary droplets, and the ratio of coalescence to breakup activity are all much higher when operating in an electric field. We analyze the droplet velocity, local Weber number and charge density statistics to understand the complex physics in electrically assisted breakup. The results of the study have helped us gain insights into the physics of atomization in electrostatic rotary sprays.

Dielectric barrier discharge actuators: Momentum injection into co-flow and counter-flow freestream

In a quiescent environment, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators generate a wall jet through the interaction of ionized and neutral molecules in an electric field. In external flow, the coupling between electrohydrodynamic (EHD), turbulence, inertial, and viscous effects in the flow boundary layer is more complex and requires additional investigation. We experimentally study momentum injection by DBD actuators into the free stream flow with Re = 35,000 and 75,000 in co-flow and counter-flow scenarios over a range of VAC = 12 kV–19.5 kV peak-to-peak at a frequency of 2 kHz. In co-flow, the momentum injection leads to boundary layer thinning and fluid entrainment from the freestream into the DBD forcing region, while in the counter-flow configuration, flow separation can occur. A separation bubble is observed at Re = 35,000 for the tested condition. The momentum difference in the counter-flow configuration is six times greater than the EHD jet momentum in a quiescent environment. Both co-flow and counter-flow momentum injections show diminishing effects with higher Re. We show that the resulting flow pattern is not a superposition of the EHD jet and the free stream but is determined by the coupling and competition of inertial, viscous, and Coulombic effects between the EHD-driven forcing and the external flow. The proposed non-dimensional momentum ratio (M*) of EHD jet momentum to momentum in the external flow boundary layer can be used to predict the onset of separation; however, additional experimental and numerical studies are required to generalize this concept to other flow scenarios. The velocity profiles and momentum measurements presented here can be used to validate numerical models and inform the design of DBD actuators for active flow control.

Investigation of the role of charge injection and Coulomb force during the melting of phase-change materials under constant temperature boundary conditions

This paper presents an investigation of the melting of dielectric material in a rectangular cavity under the effect of electrohydrodynamics (EHD). First, phase-change modeling is implemented to simulate the melting performance of paraffin wax without EHD under constant temperature boundary conditions until a steady-state condition is achieved. Next, the whole set of coupled EHD equations is introduced to the model, with the Coulomb force using a Heaviside function for charge injection being the only electrical body force considered. Finally, the numerical model is implemented using the finite element method to solve for the electric field, flow field, temperature field, and charge transport. The numerical results show that, under the effect of EHD, melting continues due to the generation of electroconvection cells in the liquid phase-change material and the flow field manifests as two symmetric rotational cells generated between every two successive electrodes. The flow field causes the redistribution of the temperature field in the liquid bulk, which enhances the heat transfer. Melting continues until a steady-state condition is almost reestablished after about one hour. The enhancement factor, defined as the ratio of the EHD melt thickness to the steady-state melt thickness without EHD, is 2.33 at 6 kV applied voltage.

Quality evaluation of house cricket flour processed by electrohydrodynamic drying and pulsed electric fields treatment

House crickets are expected to play a significant role in the future food sector. Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) drying offers an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional drying methods. Pulsed electric fields (PEF) is a non-thermal process that facilitates conventional processes. EHD was applied to house crickets with and without PEF pretreatment, and the effect of PEF and EHD on the quality of the insects was evaluated. PEF pretreatment positively affected the oven drying at 60 °C by reducing its duration and thus decreasing the energy consumption by 14.22%. Moisture removal of EHD was not sufficient to replace oven drying, but when combined with oven drying, the overall energy consumption was reduced by >50%. PEF processing also increased the protein solubility (53.07% higher than the respective control) and antioxidant activity (24.05% higher than the respective control) of the oven-dried samples and reduced the histamine content of the EHD-dried samples (25.87% lower than the respective control).

Electrohydrodynamic drying of citrus (Citrus sinensis L.) peel: Comparative evaluation on the physiochemical quality and volatile profiles.

Based on the concept of circular economy, citrus peel was considered a valuable source of bioactive compounds for high-value foods. Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) drying is a novel technology appropriated for the dehydration of heat-sensitive products such as citrus peel. In current work, EHD drying of citrus peel was performed based on alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) sources at various voltage levels (9, 18, 27, 36, and 45kV). The effect of EHD on drying characteristics, water retention capacity, enzyme inactivation, phytochemical contents (phenolic compounds and carotenoids), and volatile compounds of citrus peel were evaluated and compared. Results showed that the drying time in the AC electric field was shorter compared to DC electric field at the same applied voltages due to the polarization layer formed by unipolar charges. The applied voltage determined electric field strength as well as the degree of tissue collapse and cell membrane rupture. EHD elucidated the transformation and degradation of phytochemicals including phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and volatile composition in proportion to the applied voltage. The findings indicate that EHD drying with AC improves drying behaviors, inactivates enzymes, and retains the phytochemical properties of citrus peel.

Electrohydrodynamic effects on the bubble ascent in quiescent liquid using charge conservation approach

The current study investigates bubble ascent under the influence of an applied electric field. To accomplish this, an electrohydrodynamic solver is developed and integrated with the open-source multiphase flow solver interFoam. The numerical model accurately calculates charge distribution and Coulomb force by solving the charge convection equation. This numerical model is utilized to study the effect of electric capillary number (CaE), electrical conductivity ratio (R), and permittivity ratio (S). The electrical force comprises dielectrophoretic force (DEF) and Coulomb force, which increases with higher values of CaE, R, and S. As the bubble begins to ascend in the presence of an electric field, the tangential component of the electrical force induces vortices in the vicinity of the bubble, which interact with the bubble's motion. These interactions result in various phenomena: the ascent of undeformed and deformed bubbles, the ascent of wall-attached bubbles, bubble ascent with path instability, and bubble breakup. The strength of the vortices increases with higher CaE and R/S values. The direction of the vortices depends on the R/S, with vortices flowing from the equator to the pole for R/S<1 and from the pole to the equator for R/S>1. The vortices become stronger as moving away from R/S=1. The vortices flowing from the pole to the equator cause horizontal deformation of the bubble, reducing rising velocity by providing resistance to the bubble's motion along with DEF. Conversely, vortices flowing from the equator to the pole cause vertical deformation of the bubble, increasing the rising velocity by facilitating the bubble's motion.

Fully Nonlinear Evolution of Free-Surface Waves with Constant Vorticity under Horizontal Electric Fields

This work presents the results of a direct numerical simulation of the nonlinear free surface evolution of a finite-depth fluid with a linear shear flow under the action of horizontal electric fields. The method of time-dependent conformal transformation for the description of the combined effects of the electric fields and constant vorticity is generalized for the first time. The simulation results show that strong shear flow co-directed in the wave propagation direction leads to the formation of large-amplitude surface waves, and, for some limiting vorticity value, a wave breaking process with the formation of an air bubble in the liquid is possible. The oppositely directed shear flow can cause the retrograde motion of a surface wave (wave propagation in the opposite direction to the linear wave speed). The simulations conducted taking into account the electro-hydrodynamic effects demonstrate that a high enough external horizontal electric field suppresses these strongly nonlinear processes, and the surface waves tend to preserve their shape.

Experimental and numerical study of solder bumps impact on the underfill fluid flow under electrohydrodynamic effect

Solder bumps can increase filling time, which is one of the main challenges in electronic packaging reliability. Here, we compare the capillary flow behavior between parallel plates with and without solder bumps to examine how solder bumps affect the length of the underfill fluid flow under the effects of an electric potential. We found that the solder bumps restrained the flow length, while the electric field enhanced it. By enhancing the voltage from 0 to 1000 V, in the case without solder bumps, the flow length increased by up to 30%, and it increased by up to 25% in the case of solder bumps. To determine the optimum bump design, we selected the diameter and pitch size of the solder bumps as the independent variables. The results revealed that larger pitch sizes and smaller diameters show longer fluid flow lengths. The effect of the electric field on varying nozzle positions was also investigated. We found that the fluid flow length increased when the nozzle was between the solder bumps compared to the top of the solder bumps. According to our observations, the nozzle position is also the main factor in determining the fluid flow length compared with the bump diameter and pitch sizes for the design of the underfill packaging process. Numerical simulations were also performed to compare the experimental results, and the average discrepancy between the experimental and numerical results at various time steps for different solder bump parameters was between 5 to 10%. Our findings demonstrate the potential of using electric potential in conjunction with solder bumps to control underfill flow, which can benefit flip-chip packaging applications. Numerical methods can accurately predict underfill fluid flow with solder bumps under the electric field effect.

Investigation of electrohydrodynamic effects on sessile droplet evaporation using the lattice Boltzmann method

Droplet evaporation on hot substrates within an electric field plays an essential role during the electrospray cooling process. However, there is only a vague understanding of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) effects on droplet evaporation. In this paper, the coupled set of governing equations, including the Poisson equations, the energy equations, and the Navier-Stokes equations, is implemented within the lattice Boltzmann (LB) framework to examine the evaporation of leaky dielectric droplets. The contact angle hysteresis (CAH) as well as the influences of fluid-solid conjugate heat transfer are taken into consideration in this model. The method’s accuracy is validated quantitatively by using three basic cases. The results suggest that the sessile droplet could be elongated or flattened under EHD effects. When the droplet is elongated, the acceleration of the rate of evaporation is controlled by the interrelationship between thermal conduction and electric-induced convection in the droplet, i.e., the average Peclet number (Pe) value. As Pe is less than 1.0, the interior of the droplets is controlled by thermal conduction, and the applied electric field would prolong the droplet evaporation time. As Pe is greater than 2.0, the electric convection promotes evaporation compared to neutral droplets. In the case that the droplets are compressed inside the electric field, the evaporation time progressively decreases as the intensity of the electric field increases. These insights help us understand how EHD affects sessile droplet evaporation and illustrate the huge potential of electric fields for thermo-fluid manipulation.

Jetting and Droplet Formation Driven by Interfacial Electrohydrodynamic Effects Mediated by Solitons in Liquid Crystals.

Solitons are highly confined, propagating waves that arise from nonlinear feedback in natural (e.g., shallow and confined waters) and engineered systems (e.g., optical wave propagation in fibers). Solitons have recently been observed in thin films of liquid crystals (LCs) in the presence of ac electric fields, where localized LC director distortions arise and propagate due to flexoelectric polarization. Here we report that collisions between LC solitons and interfaces to isotropic fluids can generate a range of interfacial hydrodynamic phenomena. We find that single solitons can either generate single droplets or, alternatively, form jets of LC that subsequently break up into organized assemblies of droplets. We show that the influence of key parameters, such as electric field strength, LC film thickness, and LC-oil interfacial tension, map onto a universal state diagram that characterizes the transduction of soliton flexoelectric energy into droplet interfacial energy. Overall, we reveal that solitons in LCs can be used to focus the energy of nonlocalized electric fields to generate a new class of nonlinear electrohydrodynamic effects at fluid interfaces, including jetting and emulsification.

Numerical Study of Free-Surface Electro-Hydrodynamic Wave Turbulence

Direct numerical simulation of threedimensional chaotic motion of a dielectric liquid with a free surface under the action of external horizontal electric field is carried out. The numerical model takes into account the effects of surface tension, viscosity, and external isotropic random forcing acting at large scales. A transition from dispersive capillary wave turbulence to quasi-isotropic nondispersive EHD surface turbulence with increase of the external electric field strength is numerically observed for the first time. At the regime of developed EHD wave turbulence, the total electrical energy is found to be much greater than the energy of capillary waves, i.e., electrohydrodynamic effects play a dominant role. At the same time, anisotropic effects are detected that lead to the generation of capillary wave packets traveling perpendicular to the external field direction. Despite the revealed anisotropy, the calculated spectrum of EHD wave turbulence is in very good agreement with the analytical spectrum obtained on the basis of dimensional analysis of weak turbulence spectra.

High-fidelity simulations of a rotary bell atomizer with electrohydrodynamic effects

Electrostatic rotary bell atomizers are extensively used as paint applicators in the automobile industry. Paint undergoes atomization after exiting the edge of a high-speed rotating bell. In most setups, the paint is electrically charged and a background electric field is applied between the nozzle and the target surface to increase the transfer efficiency (TE). The atomization process directly determines the droplet size and droplet charge distributions which subsequently control TE and surface finish quality. Optimal spray parameters used in industry are often obtained from expensive trial-and-error methods. In this work, three-dimensional near-bell atomization is computationally simulated using a high-fidelity volume-of-fluid transport scheme that includes electrohydrodynamic (EHD) effects. We find that electrifying the setup results in the production of smaller droplets. Additionally, the electric field has a minor effect on primary atomization but a negligible effect on the size and stability of atomized droplets after secondary breakup. This cost-effective method of simulating EHD-assisted atomization allows for the understanding of the effect of the electric field and the extraction of droplet charge characteristics which is otherwise challenging to obtain experimentally.

Numerical analyses of wire-plate electrohydrodynamic flows

We present numerical analyses of two-dimensional electrohydrodynamic (EHD) flows of a dielectric liquid between a wire electrode and two plate electrodes with a Poiseuille flow, using direct numerical simulation and global stability analysis. Both conduction and injection mechanisms for charge generation are considered. In this work we focused on the intensity of the cross-flow and studied the EHD flows without a cross-flow, with a weak cross-flow and with a strong cross-flow. (1) In the case without a cross-flow, we investigated its nonlinear flow structures and linear dynamics. We found that the flow in the conduction regime is steady, whereas the flow in the injection regime is oscillatory, which can be explained by a global stability analysis. (2) The EHD flow with a weak cross-flow is closely related to the flow phenomena in an electrostatic precipitator (ESP). Our analyses indicate that increasing the cross-flow intensity or the electric Reynolds number leads to a less stable flow. Based on these results, we infer that one should adopt a relatively low voltage and weak cross-flow in the wire-plate EHD flow to avoid flow instability, which may hold practical implications for ESP. (3) The case of strong cross-flow is examined to study the EHD effect on the wake flow. By comparing the conventional cylindrical wake with the EHD wake in linear and nonlinear regimes, we found that the EHD effect brings forward the vortex shedding in wake flows. Besides, the EHD effect reduces the drag coefficient when the cross-flow is weak, but increases it when it is strong.