Mubashshir Ahmad Ansari

A novel passive micromixer based on unbalanced splits and collisions of fluid streams

A new passive micromixer based on the concept of unbalanced splits and cross-collisions of fluid streams is designed and fabricated. Experimental and numerical studies have been carried out on the micromixer at Reynolds numbers ranging from 10 to 80. The three-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations have been used to analyze the mixing and flow behavior of the micromixer, which is composed of two sub-channels of unequal widths which repeatedly undergo splitting and recombination. The difference between the mass flow rates in the two sub-channels creates an unbalanced collision of the two fluid streams. Mixing is mainly due to the combined effect of unbalanced collisions of the fluid streams and Dean vortices. The micromixer shows interesting mixing behavior for different ratios of the widths of the two split sub-channels. The sub-channels wherein the major sub-channel is twice as wide as the minor sub-channel exhibit the highest mixing performance at Reynolds numbers larger than 40. The results show the lowest mixing performance for the case of uniform width, where balanced collisions occur.

Adjustable, rapidly switching microfluidic gradient generation using focused travelling surface acoustic waves

We demonstrate a simple device to generate chemical concentration gradients in a microfluidic channel using focused travelling surface acoustic waves (F-TSAW). A pair of curved interdigitated metal electrodes deposited on the surface of a piezoelectric (LiNbO3) substrate disseminate high frequency sound waves when actuated by an alternating current source. The F-TSAW produces chaotic acoustic streaming flow upon its interaction with the fluid inside a microfluidic channel, which mixes confluent streams of chemicals in a controlled fashion for an adjustable and rapidly switching gradient generation.

Numerical and Experimental Study on Mixing Performances of Simple and Vortex Micro T-Mixers

Vortex flow increases the interface area of fluid streams by stretching along with providing continuous stirring action to the fluids in micromixers. In this study, experimental and numerical analyses on a design of micromixer that creates vortex flow were carried out, and the mixing performance was compared with a simple micro T-mixer. In the vortex micro T-mixer, the height of the inlet channels is half of the height of the main mixing channel. The inlet channel connects to the main mixing channel (micromixer) at the one end at an offset position in a fashion that creates vortex flow. In the simple micro T-mixer, the height of the inlet channels is equal to the height of the channel after connection (main mixing channel). Mixing of fluids and flow field have been analyzed for Reynolds numbers in a range from 1–80. The study has been further extended to planar serpentine microchannels, which were combined with a simple and a vortex T-junction, to evaluate and verify their mixing performances. The mixing performance of the vortex T-mixer is higher than the simple T-mixer and significantly increases with the Reynolds number. The design is promising for efficiently increasing mixing simply at the T-junction and can be applied to all micromixers.

Editorial for the Special Issue on Passive Micromixers

Micromixers are important components of microfluidic systems [...].

Numerical study on mixing of two fluids with modified Tesla structure

In this study, a parametric investigation on mixing of two fluids in a modified Tesla microchannel, has been preformed. Modified Tesla micromixer applies both flow separation and vortices string principles to enhance the mixing. The fluid stream splits into two sub-streams and one of them mixes with the other again at the exit of the Tesla unit. Analyses of mixing and flow field have been carried out for a wide range of Reynolds number from 0.05 to 40. Mixing performance and pressure drop characteristics with two geometrical parameters, i.e, ratio of the diffuser gap to channel width (h/w) and ratio of the curved gap to the channel width (s/w), have been analyzed at six different Reynolds numbers. The vortical structure of the flow has been analyzed to explain mixing performance. The sensitivity analysis reveals that mixing is more sensitive s/w, than the h/w.Copyright

DESIGN OF A MICROMIXER WITH HERRINGBONE GROOVES USING NUMERICAL OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUES

Optimization of a staggered herringbone groove micromixer has been performed by using three-dimensional Navier-Stokes analysis. The analysis of the degree of mixing is performed by the calculation of spatial data statistics. The calculation of the variance of the mass fraction at various nodes on a plane in the channel is used to quantify mixing. A numerical optimization technique is applied to optimize the shape of the grooves on a single wall of the channel. Two design variables, namely, the ratio of the groove depth to channel height and the angle of the groove, are selected for optimization. A mixing index is used as the objective function. The results of the optimization show that the mixing is very sensitive to the shape of the groove which can be used in controlling mixing in microdevices.Copyright