AC Electrokinetic Fast Mixing in Non-Parallel Microchannels

A novel ultra-fast micromixer of a quasi T-channel with electrically conductive sidewalls is presented here and some new phenomena in its mixing process are observed and reported. The mixing is about 10²–10³ times faster than that by purely molecular diffusion, and about 10² times faster than that in existing micromixers, which are based on the electrokinetic instability (EKI). Both parallel and non-parallel channel are investigated and compared by evaluating their mixing. Mixing behaviors in the microchannels are studied in terms of scalar concentration distributions. It is found that with a small angle (about 5° in this case) between the two electrodes sidewalls, mixing can be enhanced rapidly at even low AC voltage. The influence of the applied AC voltage phase shift between the two electrodes on the mixing process is also explored. The result reveals that the mixing is the strongest under a 180° signal phase shift. Fast mixing is also achieved under high AC frequency in this micromixer. Fluorescent micro particles are used to visualize the flow pattern for better understanding of the mixing enhancement mechanism. The design of this micromixer could provide new opportunity for applications where fast mixing is demanded.     

Fluids mixing in devices with connected-groove channels

A novel connected-groove micromixer (CGM) has been designed, fabricated, and investigated thoroughly. Connected grooves in this device, crossing multiple sides of the microchannel induced an intensely transverse field of fluids, and thus generating rapid mixing than patterned grooves on a single side alone. The fabrication of a CGM was facilitated to overcome the complication of fabricating the sidewall and bottom grooves in a channel simultaneously; a CGM hence became highly efficient and compact. We propose here CGM of two types—CGM-1 and CGM-2—and compare their mixing performance with a slanted-groove micromixer (SGM) numerically and experimentally for Re over a wide range (1-100). Numerical analysis demonstrated that a CGM provided intense transverse components in the field and great mixing efficiency; in particular, CGM-2 with co-rotating flows encompassing the mechanisms of cutting and blending of fluids had a mixing performance over 50% better than an SGM for Re=1-100. To systematically analyze the mixing by experiments, mixing of slightly viscous fluids, highly viscous fluids, and bio-fluids were adopted, respectively. The mixing experiments of slightly viscous dye solutions on the basis of the color uniformity of mixture showed that mixing lengths of both CGM were smaller than that of SGM. Based on the mixing results of highly viscous fluids, CGM-1 with sidewall grooves had a shorter pitch of spiral flow and more helical turns than an SGM. With a confocal microscope we explored the mixing sections of fluorescent proteins (B-phycoerythrin, BPE; Allophycocyanin alpha subunit, ApcA) inside a micromixer to confirm the numerical results.     

An overlapping crisscross micromixer

We propose a grooved micromixer incorporating an overlapping crisscross inlet port that is located at the intersection of two patterned channels crossing one above another. Both numerical analysis and experimental verification of the flow structure of this design have substantiated the superior mixing features over the existing herringbone mixer. Because of the symmetric feature of this microstructure, fabrication becomes simplified through assembling two identical PDMS-based slabs oppositely. Both experimental results for flow visualization and numerical simulation reveal significant cross flow at the intersection of the two channels and vertical tumbling of the flow. This activated flow feature supplies downstream fluids with vertical momentum to enhance the chaotic advection and enlarges the interfacial area between the two mixing fluids. All these features improve the mixing performance of this novel overlapping crisscross micromixer by 46% compared with the mixing indices of the staggered herringbone mixer for the longitudinal distance . Furthermore, on modulating the ratio of volumetric flow rates between the two inlet streams, an excellent mixing function with a specific prearranged concentration of a mixture and a decreased pressure loss are achieved. The divided ratios Q_t/Q_l, defined as diverted flow rate over forward flow rate, are between 1.86 and 2.88 for fluid A and between 0.52 and 0.67 for fluid B with a variable initial flow rate ratio.     

Rapid Concentration of Nanoparticles with DC Dielectrophoresis in Focused Electric Fields

We report a microfluidic device for rapid and efficient concentration of micro/nanoparticles with direct current dielectrophoresis (DC DEP). The concentrator is composed of a series of microchannels constructed with PDMS-insulating microstructures for efficiently focusing the electric field in the flow direction to provide high field strength and gradient. The location of the trapped and concentrated particles depends on the strength of the electric field applied. Both ‘streaming DEP’ and ‘trapping DEP’ simultaneously take place within the concentrator at different regions. The former occurs upstream and is responsible for continuous transport of the particles, whereas the latter occurs downstream and rapidly traps the particles delivered from upstream. The performance of the device is demonstrated by successfully concentrating fluorescent nanoparticles. The described microfluidic concentrator can be implemented in applications where rapid concentration of targets is needed such as concentrating cells for sample preparation and concentrating molecular biomarkers for detection.     

Optimization analysis of the staggered herringbone micromixer based on the slip-driven method

In this paper the mixing effect of the staggered herringbone micromixer (SHM) was investigated by using the slip-driven method. This method simplified the 3D flow in the staggered herringbone micromixer into a 2D cavity flow with an axial Poiseuille flow. The solution of the 2D cavity flow was obtained by solving the biharmonic equation. An improved design with a cosine asymmetric factor P(z) was proposed, and its mixing effect was demonstrated by comparing the effect with the original design [Stroock, A.D., Dertinger, S.K.W., Ajdari, A., Mezic, I., Stone, H.A. and Whitesides, G.M., 2002, Chaotic mixer for microchannels, Science, 295: 647–651; Stroock, A.D., Dertinger, S.K.W., Whitesides, G.M. and Ajdari, A., 2002, Patterning flows using grooved surfaces, Anal Chem, 74: 5306–5312]. Four methods evaluating the mixing effect were used: (1) mixing images at different cycles; (2) Poincaré Sections; (3) segregation intensity and (4) stretching computation. Finally, an optimized value of P₀ = 1/6 was obtained, and the mixing effect of the improved design for different P₀ is discussed.     

3种被动式微混合器的性能对比及压损分析

通过数值模拟的方法对3种不同结构的被动式微混合器进行了研究,同时对3种被动式微混合器的混合性能进行了对比,并进一步研究了微混合器的压力损失。结果显示,内肋形微混合器在5种速度条件下的混合性能要优于其他两种微混合器,而且随着流量越来越大,其压力损失也越来越大;内肋形微混合器的压力损失最大,Z形微混合器的次之,Y形微混合器的最小。     

Numerical characterisation of folding flow microchannel mixers

Micromixers have been considered in numerous recent studies with the aim of mixing different liquid streams for the common circumstance of non-inertial flow, i.e., in the Stokes flow regime. Under such conditions, the diffusion of momentum is dominant but the diffusion of species remains weak because the Schmidt number of liquids is large. Most mixers that have potential for application in the Stokes regime make use of a folding flow pattern that approximates the baker's transformation. In the work presented here, the general scaling of mixers of this type is developed from the exact equation for species transport and computations are made for a specimen mixer geometry to test the effectiveness of the resulting scaling. The scaling relation developed is found to give an excellent representation of the actual mixing characteristics of the specimen mixer over the entire range of Péclet number of practical interest. Finite volume computations are employed to solve the governing equations up to around Pe=10³. At higher Péclet numbers, where finite volume numerical solution becomes inaccurate with affordable mesh sizes, the species equation is solved using a Monte Carlo method instead. Finally, the scaling relation is used to develop the design relations needed to determine the number of mixing elements, the pressure drop incurred and the Péclet number of operation to achieve a given mixture uniformity within a specified mixing time.     

Review on gas–liquid separations in microchannel devices

Separations are indispensable to most chemical processes, regardless of operational scale. In the field of chemical microprocess engineering, separations have so far attracted rather limited attention compared to reactive processes, although increasingly more research is directed towards this area. Microstructured devices offer the opportunity of intensifying transport processes associated with separation operations by providing high ratios of contact areas to volume, short transport distances and high driving force gradients. These attributes have so far been exploited for various microseparations. In this review, we focus on separations where gas and liquid phases are present, and in particular on absorption, stripping and distillation. Two main approaches for contacting the two phases have been employed: continuous and dispersed phase contactors. Removal of components from gas mixtures by absorption and stripping of volatiles from liquid mixtures have been achieved in falling film devices, thin porous plate microcontactors, as well as in dispersed flow systems. Distillation has been performed in microchannel devices, utilizing capillary, centrifugal and gravity forces, vacuum or carrier gas.     

Multiscale phenomena in microfluidics and nanofluidics

A lab-on-a-chip device typically integrates many microfluidic components and has similar functions to the room-sized laboratory. However, developing such a lab-on-a-chip device is not simply to scale down the conventional instruments. It requires the understanding and controlling of many multiscale physical and chemical phenomena, spanning from centimeter to nanometer. In this paper, we provide an overview of the multiscale fluidic phenomena encountered in lab-on-a-chip devices, with focus on electrokinetics. We review different computational models for the studies of microfluidics and nanofluidics. Several application examples using microfluidics and nanofluidics, including micromixing, particle/cell separation, and DNA separation, are given.     

Evaluation of the mixing performance of three passive micromixers

This work presents a numerical investigation on mixing and flow structures in microchannels with different geometries: zig-zag; square-wave; and curved. To conduct the investigation, geometric parameters, such as the cross-section of the channel, channel height, axial length of the channel, and number of pitches, are kept constant for all three cases. Analyses of mixing and flow fields have been carried out for a wide range – 0.267–267 – of the Reynolds number. Mixing in the channels has been analyzed by using Navier–Stokes equations with two working fluids, water and ethanol. The results show that the square-wave microchannel yields the best mixing performance, and the curved and the zig-zag microchannels show nearly the same performance for most Reynolds number. For all three cases, the pressure drop has been calculated for channels with equal streamwise lengths. The curved channel exhibits the smallest pressure drop among the microchannels, while the pressure drops in the square-wave and zig-zag channels are approximately the same.     

Investigation of the convective motion through a staggered herringbone micromixer at low Reynolds number flow

A computational study is presented of the complex flow through a staggered herringbone micromixer (SHM), which utilises sequences of asymmetrical herringbone grooves in cycles where a set of topologically similar grooves represent a half cycle. It was analysed using finite-element (method) based software to elucidate the fluid flow within the channel and characterise the effect of the grooves at moving fluid across the channel thus creating non-axial fluid movement. Three separate physical systems were modelled: a channel containing a single groove, a half cycle of infinite grooves and an infinite system with one groove per half cycle. A range of groove heights were investigated for the single groove for the Reynolds number range 0-15 to identify the mechanics through which fluid is transported across the channel by the grooves, the effect that inertial and viscous forces have on the process and to identify a groove height range for optimised cross channel fluid transfer. The flow field within the grooves at various heights was analysed and their relationship with non-axial flow within the bulk channel identified. The culminating effect of increasing grooves per half cycle on their ability to transport fluid across the channel is analysed by comparing the entrainment of fluid into and across the groove for both a single and infinite grooves. The maximum increase in fluid entrainment per groove for the addition of extra grooves to a cycle was found to be 14%. The helicity (or swirl) of the flow within the channel is found to be small for all three systems, while increased helicity within the flow was found to correspond to an increase in energy dissipation.     

Micromixer-assisted polymerization processes

Mixing in polymerization processes is an extremely important issue as uneven mixing inevitably leads to the synthesis of polymer with undesired characteristics. On the other hand, microeaction technology has enabled the development of extremely efficient micromixers which, within typical few milliseconds, allow mixing fluids at the microscale level. Recent developments in polymerization reaction engineering include the use of such micromixers to mix either initial reactants or reactive viscous solutions in multistep processes. Thus, polymers with improved control over their molecular weights and molecular weight distributions, chemical compositions and architectures can be synthesized. Micromixers can also be used to open new operating windows in which controlled polymerization can be performed faster or under less stringent reaction conditions.     

Numerical simulation of mixing at 1–1 and 1–2 microfluidic junctions

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are carried out to evaluate mixing in different types of 1–1 and 1–2 microfluidic junctions. Computational approach adopted in the study is validated by comparing its predictions with theoretical and experimental results. Asymmetric microfluidic junctions are found to show better mixing than symmetric microfluidic junctions. Among asymmetric microfluidic junctions, mixing is found to improve with increasing skewness of the junction. A new 1–1 microfluidic junction named as OA 10⁰–20⁰ W-junction is found to give the best mixing among all 1–1 microfluidic junctions evaluated in this study. Based on this new 1–1 microfluidic junction, several 1–2 microfluidic junctions are conceptualized. Among these 1–2 microfluidic junctions a junction named as 10⁰–20⁰–165⁰ WY-junction is found to give the best mixing. Different approaches to improve microfluidic mixing viz simple-junction–complex-layout, complex-junction–simple-layout and complex-junction–complex-layout, are compared.     

The electrokinetic microfluidic flow in multi-channels with emergent applicability toward micro power generation

In order to elaborate the possible applicability of microfluidic power generation from conceptualization to system validation, we adopt a theoretical model of the electrokinetic streaming potential previously developed for the single channel problem. The ion transport in the microchannel is described on the basis of the Nernst-Planck equation, and a monovalent symmetric electrolyte of LiClO₄ is considered. Simulation results provide that the flow-induced streaming potential increases with increasing the surface potential of the microchannel wall as well as decreasing the surface conductivity. The streaming potential is also changed with variations of the electric double layer thickness normalized by the channel radius. From the electric circuit model with an array of microchannels, it is of interest to evaluate that a higher surface potential leads to increasing the power density as well as the energy density. Both the power density and the conversion efficiency tend to enhance with increasing either external resistance or number of channels. If a single microchannel is assembled in parallel with the order of 10³, the power density of the system employing large external resistance is estimated to be above 1 W/m³ even at low pressure difference less than 1 bar.     

Multiobjective Optimization of a Micromixer with Convergent–Divergent Sinusoidal Walls

A multiobjective optimization of a micromixer with convergent–divergent sinusoidal walls has been conducted using flow and mixing analyses, surrogate modeling, and multiobjective genetic algorithm. The ratios of amplitude to wavelength of the sinusoidal walls, throat width to depth of the convergent–divergent sections, and diameter of the inner circular wall to wavelength were chosen as the design variables for optimization. The full-factorial method was used to discretize the design space. The mixing index and nondimensional pressure loss were selected as objective functions. Radial basis neural network functions were used to train the objective functions. The optimization was carried out at a Reynolds number of 30. A concave Pareto-optimal front representing the trade-off between the two objective functions was obtained. The analysis of representative designs along the Pareto-optimal front showed significant variation in the ratio of throat width to depth of the convergent–divergent sections, whereas the ratio of amplitude to wavelength of the sinusoidal walls maintained a nearly constant value. The concept of mixing effectiveness was used to select the most efficient designs considering both the mixing performance and pressure drop.     

Mixing efficiency of a multilamination micromixer with consecutive recirculation zones

Adding recirculation zones to a mixer for a microplant is proposed for enhanced mixing efficiency. A multilamination interdigital micromixer has been widely used in microchemical plants for precision or small scale chemical process. The mixing efficiency of this micromixer is relatively low as the mixing of two fluids is executed by the laminar diffusion process. To assist the mixing by fluid action, a series of recirculation zones were added to the mixing chamber. The effectiveness of the recirculation zones on mixing was estimated through a numerical simulation which indicated the dependence on Reynolds number. Mixing efficiency increased at Reynolds number that is relevant to the condition that is prevalent in a microchemical plant. The proposed micromixer was fabricated by the lithography process on the photosensitive glass wafers. The mixing qualities of the fabricated micromixer were measured by two methods; the flow visualization of dilution type experiments and the reactivity measurement. The measurement of color intensity of the mixed fluid followed the predictions by the simulation. For a Reynolds number greater than 400 that was relevant in mixers for microchemical plant, a mixing efficiency higher than 90% was obtained by adding the recirculation zones.     

Villermaux-Dushman protocol for experimental characterization of micromixers

The iodide/iodate chemical test reaction (named Villermaux-Dushman method) initially proposed to characterize micromixing in conventional stirred tank reactors has become an extensive method to characterize continuous micromixers. Several protocols have been proposed and adapted to very efficient devices, but misunderstanding makes the use of this chemical test somewhat difficult which can lead to erroneous results. Furthermore, many papers only present the segregation index which is very dependent of the concentration set when mixing time, a concentration-free feature, should be preferred to compare micromixers. This paper presents the detailed protocol of the iodide/iodate test method, with different concentration sets and a general protocol to determine mixing times in micromixers.     

Two-step design protocol for patterned groove micromixers

Micromixers are essential components of microreactor technology. In this paper, a simple two-step design protocol for patterned groove micromixers based on numerical simulations is presented. In the first step, one groove of the staggered herringbone micromixer (SHM) is designed based on the average magnitude of transversal velocity v_AVGyz at the end of the groove. In the second step, different configurations of six grooves are investigated. A slightly better mixing is achieved compared to the established SHM and significantly fewer grooves are needed. Due to fewer grooves and rounded groove corners, the new design is easier to be produced by microengineering technologies (MET). Additionally, good mixing was also achieved with a modified slanted groove micromixer (SGM) configuration with the largest rounding radius at the edges. A SGM prototype was machined by micro EDM milling. The simulation results were experimentally verified with flow visualization and a good agreement was observed. The presented protocol vastly reduces the number of optimal patterned groove geometry configuration candidates to be evaluated; it is simple and effective for practical applications.