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http://dx.doi.org/10.3795/KSME-B.2010.34.7.671

Generation of Fine Droplets in a Simple Microchannel  

Kim, Su-Dong (School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Institute of Advanced Machinery and Design, Seoul Nat'l Univ.)
Kim, Young-Won (BK21 School for Creative Engineering Design of Next Generation Mechanical and Aerospace Systems, Seoul Nat'l Univ.)
Yoo, Jung-Yul (School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Institute of Advanced Machinery and Design, Seoul Nat'l Univ.)
Publication Information
Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B / v.34, no.7, 2010 , pp. 671-677 More about this Journal
Abstract
In the present study, we designed a microfluidic platform for generating monodisperse droplets with diameters ranging from hundreds of nanometers to several micrometers. To generate fine droplets, T-junction and flow-focusing geometry are integrated into the microfluidic channel. Relatively large aqueous droplets are generated at the upstream T-junction and transported to the flow-focusing geometry, where each droplet is broken into smaller droplets of the desired size by the action of pressure and viscous stress. In this configuration, the flow rate of the inner fluid can be made very low, and the ratio of the inner- and outer-fluid flow rates in the flow-focusing region can be made very high. It has been shown that the present microfluidic device can generate droplets with diameters of approximately $1\;{\mu}m$ (standard deviation: <3%).
Keywords
Fine Droplet; T-junction; Flow-focusing Geometry; Plug Movement; Flow Resistance;
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