Liquid Transfer Research Articles

Mixing behavior and mass transfer of liquid–liquid two-phase flow in an annular microchannel with helical wires

Combining the advantages of high efficiency, low-pressure drop, and large throughput, the pore array-enhanced tube-in-tube microchannel (PA-TMC) is a promising microreactor for industrial applications. However, most of the mass transfer takes place in the upstream pore region, while the contribution of the downstream annulus is limited. In this work, helical wires were introduced into the annulus by adhering to the outer surface of the inner tube. Mixing behavior and mass transfer of liquid–liquid two-phase flow in PA-TMC with different helical wires have been systematically studied by a combination of experiments and volume of fluid (VOF) method. The introduction of helical wires improves the overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient KLa by up to 133% and the mass transfer efficiency E by up to 117%. The simulation results show that the helical wire brings extra phase mixing regions and increases the specific interface area, while accelerating the fluid flow and expanding the area of enhanced turbulent dissipation rate. Influences of helical wires in various configurations are compared by the comprehensive index I concerning the pressure drop and mass transfer performance simultaneously and a new correlation between KLa and specific energy consumption φ is proposed. This research deepens the understanding of the mixing behavior and mass transfer in the PA-TMCs and provides practical experience for the process intensification of microchannel reactors.

Dynamic control analysis of energy-efficient side-stream extractive distillation process for separating close-boiling mixture

To separate the close-boiling mixture comprising heptane and toluene, this study introduces an environmentally-friendly method of side-stream extractive distillation by utilizing aniline as the separating agent. This approach modifies traditional extractive distillation by adding a side rectifier, converting two-way vapor and liquid communication into one-way liquid transfer using an additional distillation section along with corresponding reboiler. Our present study investigates the dynamic control behavior for a strongly non-ideal system without and with heat integration. It focuses on achieving stable and reliable regulatory control by closely keeping the dual-product composition to their original design standards. Key control loops are pinpointed, with a specific emphasis on those centered around adjusting reboiler heat duty and side-stream flow rate within extractive column C1 to regulate the temperatures of Stages 48 and 36. Furthermore, control effectiveness is enhanced by introducing a feedforward action of reboiler heat duty-to-feed flowrate. By developing a new and robust control architecture, high feed flowrate and composition disturbances can be managed efficiently, solving the issues of oscillation and large transient response.

Development of an Integrated Disposable Device for SARSCoV-2 Nucleic Acid Extraction and Detection

ObjectiveTo develop a highly sensitive and rapid nucleic acid detection method for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). MethodsWe designed, developed, and manufactured an integrated disposable device for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid extraction and detection. The precision of the liquid transfer and temperature control was tested. A comparison between our device and a commercial kit for SARS-Cov-2 nucleic acid extraction was performed using real-time fluorescence reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The entire process, from SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid extraction to amplification, was evaluated. ResultsThe precision of the syringe transfer volume was 19.2 ± 1.9 μL (set value was 20), 32.2 ± 1.6 (set value was 30), and 57.2 ± 3.5 (set value was 60). Temperature control in the amplification tube was measured at 60.0 ± 0.0 °C (set value was 60) and 95.1 ± 0.2 °C (set value was 95) respectively. SARS-Cov- 2 nucleic acid extraction yield through the device was 7.10 × 106 copies/mL, while a commercial kit yielded 2.98 × 106 copies/mL. The mean time to complete the entire assay, from SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid extraction to amplification detection, was 36 min and 45 s. The detection limit for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid was 250 copies/mL. ConclusionThe integrated disposable devices may be used for SARS-CoV-2 Point-of-Care test (POCT).

Modelling of evaporative falling-film heat transfer over a horizontal tube

This article focuses on evaporative falling film heat transfer through numerical simulations. A two-dimensional symmetric liquid film flowing outside a single horizontal tube was simulated using the open-source CFD software OpenFOAM. The Tanasawa model was employed to consider mass transfer at the liquid–vapour interface, and the isoAdvector VOF method was used for interface tracking. The simulations explored the impact of film flow rate, tube surface heat flux, and tube diameter on the liquid film thickness and surface heat transfer coefficient. Additionally, the critical heat flux and operational limits were considered. The results demonstrate the accurate reproduction of evaporative falling film heat transfer performance by the present model. The film thickness exhibits a similar profile to adiabatic and sensible falling film heat transfer but provides smaller values. Similarly, the evaporative heat transfer coefficient exhibits significantly higher values and a gentle peripheral variation. The influence of heat flux on evaporative falling film heat transfer is contingent on the film flow rate; it can either enhance or weaken the process. Notably, a larger tube diameter negatively affects heat transfer, suppressing the impact of heat flux, and also increases the risk of liquid film dryout. For a given film flow rate, the average heat transfer coefficient increases initially, reaches a maximum value, and then decreases as the wall heat flux is increased. The peak heat flux, termed critical heat flux, increases with film flow rate but decreases with tube diameter. An operational limit exists where the heat flux is lower than the critical heat flux and the film flow rate is higher than the critical film flow rate; under these conditions, evaporative falling film heat transfer operates in a fully wetting status.

Deflection and control of the mixing region in membraneless vanadium micro redox flow batteries: Modeling and experimental validation

Membraneless micro redox flow batteries operate within the laminar flow regime to mitigate the convective mixing between catholyte and anolyte. The absence of an ion-exchange membrane reduces manufacturing costs and overall cell resistance, thereby enhancing battery performance. However, it also poses a new challenge: the precise control of the thin mixing layer established between the two co-flowing electrolytes. Undesired displacements of the mixing region lead to increased crossover losses and significant liquid transfer between tanks. This work addresses the deflection of the mixing region under varying flow conditions, considering electrolyte viscosity variations due to the changes in the local state of charge arising during battery operation. This is achieved through a combination of mathematical analysis, numerical simulations, and experimental results. The conservation equations and non-dimensional parameters governing the problem are first written and discussed. The model is then integrated numerically incorporating different inlet and outlet boundary conditions to simulate the effect of various flow control strategies. Next, the numerical results are validated against experimental realizations of the flow. Finally, three case studies are presented and discussed. This work highlights the relevance of variable viscosity in the operation of co-laminar membraneless micro redox flow batteries, and proposes for the first time feasible control methods to mitigate undesired disturbances in the hydraulic circuit, thereby minimizing crossover losses.

Thermally coupled distillation columns without vapor transfer – Current state and further needs

Reducing the energy requirements is one essential pillar in the effort to reduce the carbon footprint of the energy intensive chemical industry. Thermal coupling of distillation columns and the equipment-integrated implementation in dividing wall columns can be considered a mature and established technology to reduce the energy demand of distillation sequences. Despite the widespread investigations and applications, the vaporous transfer stream between thermally linked columns or vapor split in the dividing wall column is associated with certain limitations. Some of these can effectively be overcome by adding an additional column section with reboiler or condenser to the thermally linked column, converting the bidirectional transfer of liquid and vapor to a unidirectional liquid transfer, which mandates additional investment, but provides an additional degree of freedom and retains the energy saving potential of the thermally coupled sequence. Although these so-called Liquid-Only-Transfer (LOT) sequences have been introduced almost 25 years ago, the process concept is receiving an increasing interest in recent years, with specific focus on conceptual design and control studies. The current review provides a methodological overview on synthesis, design and control studies for LOT-sequences, considering zeotropic and azeotropic distillation processes. It analyzes the advantages and challenges of this interesting process concept and highlights research areas and questions that still require additional attention.

A Highly Stable, Multifunctional Janus Dressing for Treating Infected Wounds.

The limited and unstable absorption of excess exudate is a major challenge during the healing of infected wounds. In this study, a highly stable, multifunctional Janus dressing with unidirectional exudate transfer capacity is fabricated based on a single poly(lactide caprolactone) (PLCL). The success of this method relies on an acid hydrolysis reaction that transforms PLCL fibers from hydrophobic to hydrophilic in situ. The resulting interfacial affinity between the hydrophilic/phobic PLCL fibers endows the Janus structure with excellent unidirectional liquid transfer and high structural stability against repeated stretching, bending, and twisting. Various other functions, including wound status detection, antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, are also integrated into the dressing by incorporating phenol red and epigallocatechin gallate. An in vivo methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-infected wound model confirms that the Janus dressing, with the capability to remove exudate from the infected site, not only facilitates epithelialization and collagen deposition, but also ensures low inflammation and high angiogenesis, thus reaching an ideal closure rate up to 98.4% on day 14. The simple structure, multiple functions, and easy fabrication of the dressing may offer a promising strategy for treating chronic wounds, rooted in the challenges of bacterial infection, excessive exudate, and persistent inflammation.

Study on the water transport performance of the fractal tree-like structure of nonwoven cotton fabrics

Fractal branching networks are structures that are ubiquitous in nature, possessing multiple transport characteristics, and have been the subject of long-term attention by many researchers. Currently, in the field of textiles, research on the ability of tree-like structures to enhance the water transport property of fabrics is mostly focused on the thickness direction of the fabric. However, there is little research on the liquid water transfer rate in the horizontal direction. In this article, the water transport performance of liquid water in tree-like fractal nonwoven fabrics with different shapes (tree-like and rectangular) was investigated, and the liquid water transport rate was measured using the horizontal wicking method. It was found that when the sum of the cube of the branch width was equal to the cube of the main stem width, the water transport efficiency of liquid water in the fabric is optimal. At the same time, a summary of the experimental data was made by comparing the water transport property of fabrics with corresponding equal areas but different widths or heights. It was found that for nonwoven fabrics with the same area size, tree-like structures can transport liquid water to a farther distance in the same amount of time. Furthermore, the liquid water transport ability of tree-like nonwoven fabrics in the horizontal direction was simulated using finite element analysis in COMSOL Multiphysics, and the results were in good agreement with the experimental values.

Chemical heterogeneity size effects at nanoscale on interface thermal resistance of solid–liquid polymer interface via molecular dynamics simulations

The shrinking size of integrated chips poses thermal management challenges. Understanding the size effect of chemical heterogeneity on solid–liquid interfacial thermal transfer is essential for heterogeneous chip design, yet the underlying mechanisms remain lacking. The present work used the liquid n-alkanes as the thermal interface material between solid platinum substrates. To characterize chemical heterogeneity, periodic solid surface patterns composed of patches with alternating solid–liquid affinities were constructed. By using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, we investigated the size effect of chemically heterogeneous patterns on interfacial thermal resistance (ITR) at the nanoscale. At larger heterogeneity sizes, i.e., larger patch sizes, most alkane molecules directly in contact weak interaction patches cannot interact with strong interaction patches due to long atomic distances. In the case of alkanes in contact a cold substrate, alkanes in contact weak interaction patches transferred thermal energy to the substrate at a lower rate than those in contact strong interaction patches. The different rates resulted in the higher temperature of alkanes in contact weak interaction patches than those in contact strong interaction patches and, therefore, a larger disparity between temperature jump at the strong interaction areas and that at the weak interaction areas. The non-uniformity of temperature jump distribution increased ITR when compared to the heterogeneous surface system characterized by a smaller patch size with a more uniform temperature distribution in the plane perpendicular to the heat flux direction. In addition, the classical parallel thermal resistance model predicted ITR accurately for the heterogeneous surface systems with small size patches but overestimated overall thermal resistance.

Study on interdigital flow field structure and two phase flow characteristics of PEM electrolyzer

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolytic hydrogen production has the advantages of high current density, high operating pressure, wide power regulation range and so on. It has good adaptability to wind and photovoltaic power with high volatility and recognized as an important way to solve the effective utilization of renewable energy. In PEM electrolyzer cell (PEMEC), anode flow field plate plays a crucial role in the process of water electrolysis to produce oxygen, which affects the of gas and liquid transfer. Among them, the channel blockage caused by bubble retention is an important factor limiting the performance of PEMEC. In this paper, an interdigital flow field plate is designed based on the plant leaf vein system. The two-phase flow behaviors within the interdigital flow field channel are studied. The results show that the interdigital flow field plate is superior to the traditional serpentine flow field in terms of electrolytic efficiency and voltage loss. The reaction kinetics rate is accelerated, the overall ohmic resistance is reduced by about 4.8 %, and the hydrogen production is increased by about 9.1 %. The above research can provide guidance for the structural improvement and performance improvement of PEMEC.

Numerical study of liquid metal magnetoconvection and heat transfer in an electrically conductive square duct

Mixed convection of an electrically conductive fluid in a square duct with imposed transverse magnetic field is studied using Large Eddy Simulation (LES) paradigms. The duct walls are electrically conductive, with the wall conductivity parameter cw ranging from 0 to 0.5. The Reynolds number is Re=5602 and the Prandtl number is Pr=0.0238. The focus of the study is on flows at Hartmann numbers Ha⩽125, Richardson numbers Ri⩽10 and two different thermal boundary conditions are considered: four wall uniform heat fluxes and one-sided heating (fixed wall temperature). The results show that the transition from laminar to turbulent flow depends not only on the ratio Ri/Ha, but also on cw and on the local thermal boundary conditions. In the turbulent regime with one-sided heating, the turbulent heat fluxes play an important role in the total heat transfer, in contrast with the typical behaviours of liquid metals. Moreover, the turbulent and thermal structures are highly dependent on the thermal boundary conditions, which completely alter the flow structure. It is also found that at cw≥0.01 the turbulent heat fluxes decrease.

Liquid plug characteristics and heat transfer performance of a silicon-based ultra-thin flat heat pipe at different incline angles

Silicon-based ultra-thin flat heat pipes (UFHPs) that can be integrated with semiconductor devices provide an opportunity for electronic thermal management. To meet the requirements of various operation states, the impacts of gravity on the liquid plug characteristics and heat transfer performance of an UFHP are investigated by a visualization experiment conducted at different incline angles. Condensate flows back through microgrooves under the capillary pressure and gravity under a low heating power (capillary flow stage), and then excess condensate flows back along the edges of the UFHP under a higher heating power (gravitational flow stage). Over a certain heating power (Q ≥ 14 W), liquid plug fluctuations caused by vapor entrainment are observed with periodic dry-out at the evaporator under large incline angles (α ≥ 60°), corresponding to temperature fluctuations. Intense fluctuations of the liquid plug enhance sensible heat transfer, although the liquid plug occupies the condenser area and impedes the vapor flow. Meanwhile, evaporation at the evaporator benefits from corner-film evaporation until a large area of dry-out occurs. Due to the increased gravity and buoyancy, a larger incline angle is conducive to thermal performance enhancement, but this effect becomes restricted as the heating power rises. At a cooling-water temperature of 20 ℃ and an incline angle of 90°, the lowest thermal resistances of the UFHP yield a value of 1.14 ℃/W at 4 W in the steady stage and a value of 1.22 ℃/W at 18 W in the fluctuation stage, respectively. The heat transfer limit of UFHP with overfilling reaches 24 W, compared with the theoretical heat transfer capacity of 8.9 W at an incline angle of 90°. Additionally, a higher cooling-water temperature is beneficial for the thermal performance in the capillary flow stage, but not in the gravitational flow stage and fluctuation stage. This study provides guidance for the operational design of silicon-based UFHP for electronic thermal management.

The influence of NaOH/urea treatment on the transfer law of water in cotton fabric

The moisture absorption and water conductivity of fabrics determine the thermal and moisture comfort of textiles and clothing. In this study, the water transfer law in cotton fabrics treated with a NaOH/urea system was investigated. The morphological changes and structural properties of the cotton fabrics before and after treatment were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Additionally, the relationship between the gaseous and liquid water transfer performance and the fiber morphology and structure was studied. The results indicate that after the NaOH/urea treatment, the surface of the cotton fibers gradually became rougher, and the fibers swelled slightly along the cross-sectional direction. With an increase in treatment time, the axial twist of the fibers decreased, and a trend of dissolution was observed. However, after 5 min of treatment, the cotton fabric tended to adhere to the partially dissolved fibers at the junction of the warp and weft yarns. Although the chemical structure of the cotton fibers did not show significant changes after the treatment, their crystallinity gradually decreased. Following treatment, the air permeability and moisture permeability of the fabric increased, while the wicking height and water retention rate initially increased and then decreased, resulting in an interesting pattern of change. The NaOH/urea treatment also increased the dyeability of the cotton fabrics, and the fastness to rubbing and washing of the fabrics reached grades ≥ 3. Prolonged NaOH/urea treatment enhanced the breaking strength of the cotton fabrics. The establishment of the entropy weight-TOPSIS method to evaluate the moisture transfer performance of fabrics treated with the NaOH/urea system has theoretical significance for the comprehensive analysis of cotton fabrics treated with NaOH/urea and related product development. This study provides a new basis for the comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the water transfer and moisture comfort performance of the fabrics, further advancing the application of NaOH/urea treatment to cotton fabrics, which has promising prospects for the future.

A study of blockchain-based liquidity cross-chain model.

Blockchain cross-chaining is about interconnectivity and interoperability between chains and involves both physical to virtual digital aspects and cross-chaining between digital networks. During the process, the liquidity transfer of information or assets can increase the use of items with other chains, so it is worth noting that the enhancement of cross-chain liquidity is of great practical importance to cross-chain technology. In this model, Layerzero is used as the primary secure cross-chain facility to build a full-chain identity by unifying NFT-distributed autonomous cross-chain identity IDs; applying super-contract pairs to enhance cross-chain liquidity; and initiating a dynamic transaction node creditworthiness model to increase the security of the cross-chain model and its risk management. Finally, by verifying three important property metrics timeliness is improved by at least 18%, robustness is increased by at least 50.9%, and radius of convergence is reduced by at least 25%. It is verified that the liquidity cross-chain model can eliminate the authentication transition between hierarchies while saving the cross-chain time cost, as a way to truly realize the liquid interoperability between multiple chains of blockchain.

Polyethylene glycol: an efficient solid–liquid transfer agent for K2CO3-catalyzed oxidative coupling reaction of alkyl mercaptan with sulfur as oxidant

Polyethylene glycol: an efficient solid–liquid transfer agent for K2CO3-catalyzed oxidative coupling reaction of alkyl mercaptan with sulfur as oxidant

Rancang Bangun Sistem Transfer Liquid Berbasis Arduino Uno Menggunakan Sensor YF-S401

This article discusses the design of a liquid transfer system using a YF-S401 flow sensor and the evaluation of various calibration factors to create a reliable system. The research methods included water flow measurement, system component selection, system design, and workflow. The research results showed that a calibration factor of 50 was the optimal choice, showing good liquid transfer precision at a scale of 100 ml. However, testing at a scale of 200 ml and 300 ml showed suboptimal performance, especially in maintaining liquid transfer precision. Further development recommended in the selection of more reliable components, the improvement of the Arduino Uno program, and the implementation of technologies such as real time operating system (RTOS) to improve the accuracy of the liquid transfer system at larger scales. Overall, this research provides important insights for the development of automatic liquid transfer systems with a focus on precision in various measurement scales. Keywords—Liquid transfer system, Flow sensor, Calibration factor, Water flow measurement, Arduino Uno

Efficient feedforward sloshing suppression strategy for liquid transport

This paper introduces an advanced feedforward control method to suppress sloshing in high-speed liquid container transfers in robotic systems. Three key concepts are combined: (1.) A virtual pendulum tray is envisaged to suspend the liquid container. By moving only the virtual pivot, the resulting container motion robustly reduces sloshing. (2.) A geometric condition is found for the virtual tray/container assembly to fully suppress one specific sloshing mode, allowing rapid transfers in a way that the dominant sloshing dynamics is fully suppressed. (3.) An analytic feedforward trajectory control based on differential flatness is formulated to design fast and efficient rest-to-rest transport manoeuvres. Any sloshing of modelled higher modes which is excited during the manoeuvre is accurately stopped at the end of such a manoeuvre. The resulting control law is computationally simple and achieves excellent sloshing-suppression performance. The concept is validated via simulations, finite-element analyses, and experimental tests, proving excellent theoretical and real-world performance and showing high robustness even with variations in the liquid filling level.

Structure effect of wall cooling channel on liquid metal heat transfer in aero-engines

In this study, a model of the cooling channel and an experimental system for heat transfer involving liquid metal are studied, to investigate the influence of the wall cooling channel structure of combustor on the heat transfer process. The error between the experimental and simulated outcomes fall is within 3 %, suggesting that the accuracy of the simulation is satisfactory. The simulation results found that the temperature non-uniformity coefficient can be reduced by 13 % and 7 % through adjusting the aspect ratio under the heat flux of 3 MW/m2 and 1.5 MW/m2 respectively, and the wall temperature of gas side can be reduced by 89 K and 47 K respectively. A smaller aspect ratio is favorable for homogenizing the liquid metal temperature distribution. Longer widths, however, can lead to horizontal thermal stratification, which can be unfavorable for heat transfer. With an aspect ratio and rib thickness of about 0.5 and 0.4 mm, respectively, the cooling channel outlet has the lowest non-uniformity coefficient of temperature and enthalpy, which is conducive to the improvement of the wall energy recovery rate. The optimal cooling channel effectively improves the thermal stratification in channel, and provides theoretical guidance for the suitable application of liquid metal to the combustor wall cooling channel.

ELECTRO-OSMOTIC EFFECT ON PERISTALTIC FLOW OF PHAN–THIEN–TANNER FLUID IN A PLANAR CHANNEL

Abstract There are several factors that can cause the excessive accumulation of biofluid in human tissue, such as pregnancy, local traumas, allergic responses or the use of certain therapeutic medications. This study aims to further investigate the shear-dependent peristaltic flow of Phan–Thien–Tanner (PTT) fluid within a planar channel by incorporating the phenomenon of electro-osmosis. This research is driven by the potential biomedical applications of this knowledge. The non-Newtonian fluid features of the PTT fluid model are considered as physiological fluid in a symmetric planar channel. This study is significant, as it demonstrates that the chyme in the small intestine can be modelled as a PTT fluid. The governing equations for the flow of the ionic liquid, thermal radiation and heat transfer, along with the Poisson–Boltzmann equation within the electrical double layer, are discussed. The long-wavelength ( $\delta \ll 1$ ) and low-Reynolds-number approximations ( $Re \to 0$ ) are used to simplify the simultaneous equations. The solutions analyse the Debye electronic length parameter, Helmholtz–Smoluchowski velocity, Prandtl number and thermal radiation. Additionally, streamlines are used to examine the phenomenon of entrapment. Graphs are used to explain the influence of different parameters on the flow and temperature. The findings of the current model have practical implications in the design of microfluidic devices for different particle transport phenomena at the micro level. Additionally, the noteworthy results highlight the advantages of electro-osmosis in controlling both flow and heat transfer. Ultimately, our objective is to use these findings as a guide for the advancement of lab-on-a-chip systems.

Automated analyses of dried blood spots collected by volumetric microsampling devices

BackgroundDried blood spot (DBS) sampling on cellulose cards suffers from varying blood haematocrit levels and from chromatographic effects, which have a direct impact on quantitative DBS analyses. Commercial volumetric microsampling devices were, therefore, introduced to mitigate these effects, however, these devices are not compatible with automated DBS processing systems and must be processed manually. ResultsCapillary electrophoresis (CE) instruments use fused-silica (FS) capillaries for precise and accurate liquid handling as well as for injection, separation, and quantitative analyses of liquid samples. These inherent features of an Agilent 7100 CE instrument were employed for the automated processing (elution and homogenization) of DBSs collected by hemaPEN® volumetric devices (2.74 μL of capillary blood per spot). The hemaPEN® samples were processed directly in CE vials by consecutive transfers of 56 μL of methanol and 14 μL of deionized water through the FS capillary in a sequence of 39 DBSs with repeatability of the liquid transfers better than 1.4 %. The resulting DBS eluates were homogenized by a quick air flush through the capillary and analyzed by the same capillary and CE instrument. Creatinine was selected as a clinically relevant model analyte and its endogenous concentrations in DBSs were determined by CE with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CE-C4D) in a background electrolyte solution consisting of 50 mM acetic acid and 0.1 % (v/v) Tween 20 (pH 3.0). The overall repeatability of the automated DBS processing and CE-C4D analyses of 39 DBSs was ≤7.1 % (peak areas) and ≤0.6 % (migration times), the calibration curve was linear in the 25–500 μM range (R2 = 0.9993) and covered all endogenous blood creatinine levels, the limit of detection was 5.0 μM, and sample throughput was >12 DBSs per hour. DBS ageing for 60 days and varying blood haematocrit levels (20–70 %) did not affect creatinine quantitative results (≤6.9 % for peak areas). Inter-capillary and inter-instrument repeatability was ≤7.7 % (peak areas) and ≤3.4 % (migration times) and demonstrated an excellent transferability of the proposed analytical concept among laboratories. Significance and noveltyThis contribution is the first-ever report on the use of a single off-the-shelf analytical instrument for fully automated analyses of DBSs collected by commercial volumetric microsampling devices and holds great promise for future unmanned quantitative DBS analyses.