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Computational and experimental investigation of mixing in microchannels
This paper was presented at the 2nd Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2009), which was held at Brunel University, West London, UK. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, IPEM, the Italian Union of Thermofluid dynamics, the Process Intensification Network, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group and the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.Mixing is a key process for the successful of all chemical or biochemical reactions, so effective micromixers represent essential components for micro total analysis systems (μTAS) or lab-on-a-chip. In the present study a combined computational and experimental approach was adopted to evaluate how the efficiency of a Y-mixer can be enhanced by modifying its downstream geometry. Three different geometries were studied and compared: Y-straight channel, Y-sine channel and Y-wrinkled wall channel. For each of them the influence of perfusing flow rates and channel cross section aspect ratio was investigated. Physical prototypes were built using a simple technique based on a xerographic process, and their mixing
performance was experimentally evaluated. Computational models of the designed micromixers were generated: the Navier-Stokes equations for an incompressible Newtonian fluid and the advection-diffusion
equation were solved with an uncoupled approach by means of the finite volume method. The computational and experimental results were critically compared, revealing Y-wrinkled wall mixer as the best performer
among those considered and suggesting criteria of possible improvements and optimization