Numerical simulation of mixing enhancement in T-shaped micromixers

XIAO Shui-yun; LI Ming; YANG Da-yong

doi:10.3879/j.issn.1000-0887.2016.03.008

Volume 37 Issue 3

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XIAO Shui-yun, LI Ming, YANG Da-yong. Numerical simulation of mixing enhancement in T-shaped micromixers[J]. Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, 2016, 37(3): 301-310. doi: 10.3879/j.issn.1000-0887.2016.03.008

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Numerical simulation of mixing enhancement in T-shaped micromixers

doi: 10.3879/j.issn.1000-0887.2016.03.008

¹School of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, P.R.China;²Information Engineering School, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, P.R.China

Funds: The National Natural Science Foundation of China（11302095）

Received Date: 2015-10-08
Rev Recd Date: 2015-12-30
Publish Date: 2016-03-15

Abstract

Abstract

To study the effects of different mixing enhancement modes on micromixing, numerical simulations with the finite element method were carried out on the simple T-shaped micromixers, the active T-shaped micromixers with surface heterogeneous Zeta potential and the passive T-shaped micromixers with embedded ribs. The flow fields, velocity fields and concentration fields in the 3 kinds of T-shaped micromixers, as well as the relationships between the mixing efficiency and 2 dimensionless parameters Re and Sc, were investigated. The results show that the mixing efficiency decreases with Sc and Re, fast at first and then slowly. The mixing efficiency in the passive T-shaped micromixer with embedded ribs has large undulation along the microchannel, while that in the active T-shaped micromixer with surface heterogeneous Zeta potential has only gentle undulation, and this undulation will be restrained in the cases of high Re values or low Sc values. The Re value also notably influences the improving effect of different mixing enhancement modes. For relatively lower Re values, the outlet mixing efficiency is improved more evidently in the active mixing enhancement mode with surface heterogeneous Zeta potential; otherwise, for relatively higher Re values, that happens instead in the passive mixing enhancement mode with embedded ribs.
- T-shaped micromixer,
- mixing enhancement,
- electroosmotic flow,
- mixing efficiency

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References(18)

References

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