Flow Behavior In Microchannels Research Articles

Anisotropic flow physics in diamond microchannels: Design implications for microfluidic rectifiers handling Newtonian fluids

The study explores anisotropic flow behavior in microchannels, which is crucial for advancing microfluidic rectifiers. Specifically, the investigation focuses on the directional flow behavior of Newtonian fluids within diamond-shaped microchannels, a topology holding significant promise across various disciplines. Unlike non-Newtonian fluids, Newtonian fluids lack inherent directional traits, needing high Reynolds numbers for inertial effects necessary for effective rectification in asymmetric flow structures. High Reynolds numbers in microchannels are challenging, but diamond microchannels uniquely exhibit inertial effects even at low Reynolds numbers, yet their potential for designing rectifiers is largely unexplored. The study presents two unique asymmetric diamond microchannel designs and conducts thorough three-dimensional numerical analyses to assess fluid flow across different design parameters. Rectification is quantified through fluid diodicity, demonstrating that configurations with higher width and aspect ratios and shorter lengths produce significant rectification effects. Examining velocity profiles and flow resistances in both directions illustrates irreversible flow physics. Notably, the observed maximum diodicity for the proposed design reaches 1.61 for Newtonian fluids, surpassing most previous designs by 11%–40%. Quantitative relationships between flow resistances in both directions and design variables through regression analysis allow determining flow resistances within ±8% and fluid diodicity within ±7% and ±10%, respectively, based on constant flow rate and pressure drop. These correlations provide valuable insights for the initial design of microfluidic rectifiers using these configurations. The results offer essential guidance for effectively designing microfluidic rectifiers using diamond microchannels in various scientific applications.

Cross-channel microfluidic device for dynamic control of concentration and velocity by the electroosmotic drive

Accurate and fast control of fluid flow velocity and mixing is an essential technique for in vitro cell or microbial culture. Here, we propose a cross microchannel structure based on electroosmotic drive, which enables efficient cooperative dynamic control of fluid velocity and concentration. In this study, the effects of channel width, applied voltage, and waveform on fluid mixing and flow behavior in microchannels are investigated experimentally and numerically. We find that the flow velocity and the fluid mixing ratio can be efficiently regulated by the applied voltage. Moreover, reducing the width of one of the microchannels can significantly improve the control accuracy of the fluid mixing ratio in the system. We also find that various concentration and velocity waveforms can be generated by controlling the voltage waveform. Our results reveal some important features of electroosmotic-driven flow that could facilitate the design of electrically operated fluid devices.

A Preliminary Computational Investigation Into the Flow of PEG in Rat Myocardial Tissue for Regenerative Therapy.

Myocardial infarction (MI), a type of cardiovascular disease, affects a significant proportion of people around the world. Traditionally, non-communicable chronic diseases were largely associated with aging populations in higher income countries. It is now evident that low- to middle-income countries are also affected and in these settings, younger individuals are at high risk. Currently, interventions for MI prolong the time to heart failure. Regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy have the potential to mitigate the effects of MI and to significantly improve the quality of life for patients. The main drawback with these therapies is that many of the injected cells are lost due to the vigorous motion of the heart. Great effort has been directed toward the development of scaffolds which can be injected alongside stem cells, in an attempt to improve retention and cell engraftment. In some cases, the scaffold alone has been seen to improve heart function. This study focuses on a synthetic polyethylene glycol (PEG) based hydrogel which is injected into the heart to improve left ventricular function following MI. Many studies in literature characterize PEG as a Newtonian fluid within a specified shear rate range, on the macroscale. The aim of the study is to characterize the flow of a 20 kDa PEG on the microscale, where the behavior is likely to deviate from macroscale flow patterns. Micro particle image velocimetry (μPIV) is used to observe flow behavior in microchannels, representing the gaps in myocardial tissue. The fluid exhibits non-Newtonian, shear-thinning behavior at this scale. Idealized two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of PEG flow in microchannels are then developed and validated using the μPIV study. The validated computational model is applied to a realistic, microscopy-derived myocardial tissue model. From the realistic tissue reconstruction, it is evident that the myocardial flow region plays an important role in the distribution of PEG, and therefore, in the retention of material.

Velocity measurements in DI water flow microchannels with hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces

An experiment was performed herein to examine the near-wall water flow characteristics and bulk flow behavior in microchannels with a height of 6μm (velocity), through the optical measuring techniques of nPIV. Both the hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces of non-OTS, OTS, DTS and BTS were studied, and the corresponding velocity distribution, slip velocity and slip length (6μm channel) were measured. Moreover, the friction factor data were secured. The friction factor was correlated into a power law form in terms of the relevant parameters, including surface wettability, which is f=67.8Re-0.984θ∗-0.349 for both the hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces under study, and compared to those of previous studies with good agreement.

Numerical investigation of Reynolds number and scaling effects in micro-channels flows

Compared with conventional channels, experiments of microchannel often exhibit some controversial findings and sometimes even opposite trends, most notably the effects of the Reynolds number and the scaled channel height on the Poiseuille number. The experimental method has still been constrained by two key facts, firstly the current ability to machine microstructures and secondly the limitation of measurement of parameters related to the Poiseuille number. As a consequence, numerical method was adopted in this study in order to analyze a flow in two-dimensional rectangular microchannels using water as working fluid. Results are obtained by the solution of the steady laminar incompressible Navier-Stokes equations using control volume finite element method (CVFEM) without pressure correction. The computation was made for channel height ranging from 50 μm to 4.58 μm and Reynolds number varying from 0.4 to 1 600. The effect of Reynolds number and channel heights on flow characteristics was investigated. The results showed that the Poiseuille numbers agree fairly well with the experimental measurements proving that there is no scale effect at small channel height. This scaling effect has been confirmed by two additional simulations being carried out at channel heights of 2.5 μm and 0.5 μm, respectively and the range of Reynolds number was extended from 0.01 up to 1 600. This study confirm that the conventional analysis approach can be employed with confidence for predicting flow behavior in microchannels when coupled with carefully matched entrance and boundary conditions in the dimensional range considered here.

Nonlinear time‐series analysis of optical signals to identify multiphase flow behavior in microchannels

This study provides an insight into the instability and irregularity of multiphase flows in microchannels. Using a homemade optical measuring system, time series related to two‐phase flow dynamics under different operating conditions, fluids, and channel lengths were collected and analyzed via a nonlinear characteristic parameter, Kolmogorov entropy (KE). Our results reveal that higher KE corresponds to unstable flow behavior, while lower KE refers to steady flow behavior; higher KE values appear at comparatively low or high gas flow rates, and most Taylor flow regime appeared at proper operating conditions with small KE. An equation derived based on the definition of KE is proposed to better understand KE characteristics, which include bubble break‐up impact and gas/liquid flow rate ratio. Predictions from the proposed analytical equation agree with experimental results, suggesting that the equation effectively identifies unstable flows and can be used to ensure stable and predictable multiphase flows in microchannels. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 2378–2385, 2017

Structural design of microfluidic channels for blood plasma separation.

Microfluidics devices for separation of plasma from whole blood can be applied to numerous clinical laboratory and point-of-care diagnostics, since over 90% of blood diagnosis tests are conducted using plasma. This paper proposed a structural design of microfluidic channels for blood plasma separation. The Euler-Euler Laminar Flow Model in COMSOL Multiphysics has been utilized to simulate the blood flow behavior in microchannels. Micro chips with separating microchannels of different designs were fabricated and tested. The geometrical effect of microchannels on plasma separation was investigated. Simulation results show that curved channel contributes little in lateral migration of cells in low flow rate and becomes a difficult choice in the case of high flow rate due to the coupling of centrifugal migration and Dean Vortex. Studies on the bifurcation corner radius and the angle between main channel and side channel show that an abrupt change in flow direction of cell free layer helps to get more plasma with higher purity. An optimal design of multi-bifurcation separator has been achieved by balancing the flow resistances of the side channels and the main channels.

Velocity Profile Investigation of FFS Microchannel at Re 100

Recently, microfluidics system has been widely employed in various areas for instance biomedical,pharmaceuticals and cell biological researchdue to its advantages. The flow behavior in microchannels with different cross-sections has been topic in previous studies. In this paper, numerical simulation of fluid flow in Forward Facing Step (FFS) configuration was performed to investigate velocity profile after the step. Reynolds numbers (Re) 100 with different step heights, 1μm and 3μm were used to observe trend occurs in the flow characteristics. The result illustrated an increase of velocity distribution with the increase of the step height.

Prediction of a temperature‐dependent electroosmotically driven microchannel flow with the Joule heating effect

PurposeA convection‐diffusion‐reaction scheme is proposed in this study to simulate the high gradient electroosmotic flow behavior in microchannels. The equations governing the total electric field include the Laplace equation for the effective electrical potential and the Poisson‐Boltzmann equation for the electrical potential in the electric double layer.Design/methodology/approachMixed electroosmotic/pressure‐driven flow in a straight microchannel is studied with the emphasis on the Joule heat in the equations of motion. The nonlinear behaviors resulting from the hydrodynamic, thermal and electrical three‐field coupling and the temperature‐dependent fluid viscosity, thermal conductivity, electrical permittivity, and conductivity of the investigated buffer solution are analyzed.FindingsThe solutions computed from the employed flux discretization scheme for the hydrodynamic, thermal and electric field equations have been verified to have good agreement with the analytical solution. Parametric studies have been carried out by varying the electrical conductivity at the fixed zeta potential and varying the zeta potential at the fixed electrical conductivity.Originality/valueInvestigation is also addressed on the predicted velocity boundary layer and the electric double layer near the negatively charged channel wall.

Computational Modeling of Microchannel Flows on Laboratory Compact Disk (LABCD)

AbstractThis paper models and analyzes flows in linear and curved microchannels on a rotating Laboratory Compact Disk (LabCD). The effects of centrifugal force are introduced into the governing equations of the microchannel flow to promote the fluidic velocity in the microchannel. The microchannel types on the LabCD must be designed following a process of mathematical identification. A flow model which takes into account the combined effects of viscosity, capillary forces, pressure difference and rotation is developed. A reduction-order technique is applied to obtain linear and nonlinear governing equations for flows in straight and curviform microchannels, respectively. The analytical solutions for the flow in the tubular microchannel are obtained using the Laplace transform method, while the numerical solutions for the curviform microchannel or microchannel with a varying cross-section are obtained using a piecewise linear method. The results show that the analyzed models are easily presented by a mathematical expression for the case of a tubular microchannel and simulated using a numerical program for the case of special microchannels. The modeling presented in this paper enables the performance of LabCD devices to be significantly enhanced by providing insights into the fluid flow behavior in microchannels of varying configurations under different rotational velocities.

光誘起局所粘性分布下におけるマイクロ流動構造の解明(流体工学,流体機械)

光誘起局所粘性分布下におけるマイクロ流動構造の解明(流体工学,流体機械)

Flow behavior in microchannel made of different materials with wall slip velocity and electro-viscous effects

In a microfluidic system, flow slip velocity on a solid wall can be the same order of magnitude as the average velocity in a microchannel. The flow-electricity interaction in a complex microfluidic system subjected to joint action of wall slip and electro-viscous effect is an important topic. This paper presents an analytic solution of pressure-driven liquid flow velocity and flow-induced electric field in a two-dimensional microchannel made of different materials with wall slip and electro-viscous effects. The Poisson- Boltzmann equation and the Navier-Stokes equation are solved for the analytic solutions. The analytic solutions agree well with the numerical solutions. It was found that the wall slip amplifies the flow-induced electric field and enhances the electro-viscous effect on flow. Thus the electro-viscous effect can be significant in a relatively wide microchannel with relatively large κh, the ratio of channel width to thickness of electric double layer, in comparison with the channel without wall slip.

Computational Modeling of Micro-Fluid Flow in a Tubular Microchannel

This paper develops models for micro-fluid flow in tubular microchannels with uniform or varying cross-sections. The fluid flow is governed by the pressure drop, the capillary force, and the viscous force. The governing equation developed for the flow incorporates two geometry parameters, namely the cross-section perimeter, S, and the cross-section area, A. In a microchannel with a uniform cross-section, the governing equation reduces to a linear initial value problem which can be solved analytically. However, in the case of a varying cross-section, the two geometry parameters vary as a function of the flow front position, L, and the nonlinear initial value problem must be solved numerically. The computational models developed in this study will be able to provide accurate predictions of the micro-fluid flow behavior in microchannels with uniform or varying cross-sections.

Phase change phenomena in silicon microchannels

Understanding the boiling process and two-phase flow behavior in microchannels is the key to developing microchannel heat sinks for high-power microprocessors. We conducted experiments in micromachined silicon channels with a range of 27–171 μm hydraulic diameters and varying surface roughnesses. Bubble nucleation, flow patterns, wall temperature, as well as transient pressure fluctuations were recorded and analyzed. We observed both typical nucleate boiling and eruption boiling with large amounts of wall superheat in these channels, and recorded up to 138 kPa transient pressure fluctuations due to bubble nucleation. We found the boiling mechanism is strongly dependent on the wall surface roughness, and we explained the boiling mechanism in sub-150 μm diameter channels with Hsu’s model.

Investigation of Liquid Flow in Microchannels

Liquid flow in microchannels is investigated both experimentally and numerically. The experiments are carried out in microchannels with hydraulic diameters from 244 to 974 µ ma tReynolds numbers ranging from 230 to 6500. The pressure drop in these microchannels is measured in situ and is also determined by correcting global measurements for inlet and exit losses. Onset of turbulence is verified by flow visualization. The experimental measurements of pressure drop are compared to numerical predictions. Results show that conventional theory may be used to predict successfully the flow behavior in microchannels in the range of dimensions considered here. Nomenclature Dh =h ydraulic diameter, µm f = Darcy friction factor H = microchannel height, µm L = microchannel length, mm l = characteristic size of eddies in turbulent flow, m P = pressure, Pa Q =v olume flow rate, m 3 /s Re =R eynolds number U =a verage velocity in microchannel, m/s u = characteristic velocity scale of eddies in turbulent flow, m/s W = microchannel width, µm x + = entrance length, mm α = aspect ratio, H/W � P = pressure difference, Pa δ = uncertainty e = dissipation rate, m 2 /s 3 η =K olmogorov length scale, m µ = fluid viscosity, N · s/m 2 ν = kinematic viscosity, m 2 /s ρ = fluid density, kg/m 3 app = apparent fd = fully developed conditions