17 research outputs found
Compound droplet manipulations on fiber arrays
Recent works demonstrated that fiber arrays may constitue the basis of an
open digital microfluidics. Various processes, such as droplet motion,
fragmentation, trapping, release, mixing and encapsulation, may be achieved on
fiber arrays. However, handling a large number of tiny droplets resulting from
the mixing of several liquid components is still a challenge for developing
microreactors, smart sensors or microemulsifying drugs. Here, we show that the
manipulation of tiny droplets onto fiber networks allows for creating compound
droplets with a high complexity level. Moreover, this cost-effective and
flexible method may also be implemented with optical fibers in order to develop
fluorescence-based biosensor
Drop on a Bent Fibre
Inspired by the huge droplets attached on cypress tree leaf tips after rain,
we find that a bent fibre can hold significantly more water in the corner than
a horizontally placed fibre (typically up to three times or more). The maximum
volume of the liquid that can be trapped is remarkably affected by the bending
angle of the fibre and surface tension of the liquid. We experimentally find
the optimal included angle () that holds the most water.
Analytical and semi-empirical models are developed to explain these
counter-intuitive experimental observations and predict the optimal angle. The
data and models could be useful for designing microfluidic and fog harvesting
devices
Compound droplets on fibers
Droplets on fibers have been extensively studied in the recent years.
Although the equilibrium shapes of simple droplets on fibers are well
established, the situation becomes more complex for compound fluidic systems.
Through experimental and numerical investigations, we show herein that compound
droplets can be formed on fibers and that they adopt specific geometries. We
focus on the various contact lines formed at the meeting of the different
phases and we study their equilibrium state. It appears that, depending on the
surface tensions, the triple contact lines can remain separate or merge
together and form quadruple lines. The nature of the contact lines influences
the behavior of the compound droplets on fibers. Indeed, both experimental and
numerical results show that, during the detachment process, depending on
whether the contact lines are triple or quadruple, the characteristic length is
the inner droplet radius or the fiber radius
Switching behavior of droplets crossing nodes on a fiber network
peer reviewedLately, curious structures have been erected in arid regions: They are large nets able to catch water from fog. Tiny droplets condense on the mesh and are collected on the bottom of it. This innovative technology is crucial to obtain drinkable water in these inhospitable areas. Many studies aim to understand the behavior of droplets trapped on this entanglement of fibers. However, the motion of a droplet sliding on a network of inclined fibers and encountering several crossings when going down remains an open question. Here, we look at the path chosen by such a drop and, especially, we analyze its behavior at the different nodes of the array. We show that droplets may change from one fiber to another one depending on the slope and the diameter of these fibers. We prove that we can force a droplet to follow a specific path simply by carefully designing the fiber mesh. These findings are expected to provide a very convenient way to manipulate small droplets in applications from microfluidics to fog harvesting. © 2017 The Author(s)
Magnetocapillary Swimmers
We present an experiment where three mesoscopic soft ferromagnetic beads are
placed onto a liquid surface and submitted to the influence of magnetic fields.
A vertical magnetic field creates a repulsion which counterbalances the
capillary attraction. We show that the competition with a second, oscillating
field, deforms the structure in a non reciprocal way. As a consequence, the
structure is able to swim. This experiment is fully described in a fluid
dynamics video attached to this submission.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures and 2 videos for the gallery of fluid motion (The
same ones but at different qualities.
Capillary transport from barrel to clamshell droplets on conical fibers
ABSTRACT :
Droplets spontaneously move when they are placed at the tip of a cone surface. Using three dimensionally printed structures, we experimentally explore a large panel of configurations regarding the aperture angle of the cone. We evidence a change of the droplet geometry while moving along the conical fiber. This transition is a switch of configuration from barrel to clamshell shape. The consequence is a change in the droplet dynamics. We estimate the position of this geometrical transition and we propose two models to describe the motion of the barrel and the clamshell droplets. While both shapes are driven by capillary forces, the dissipation is dependent on the geometrical configuration. For barrel shape droplets the main dissipation appears to be in the liquid wedge. For clamshell shape droplets the dissipation occurs mainly in the liquid film close to the conical fiber