• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.29 no.10 s.241
• /
• pp.1289-1297
• /
• 2005

The flow in a microchannel is usually characterized as a low Reynolds number (Re) so that good mixing is quite difficult to be achieved. In this regard, we developed a novel chaotic micromixer, named Serpentine Laminating Micromixer (SLM) in the present study, Part 1. In the SLM, the higher level of chaotic mixing can be achieved by combining two general chaotic mixing mechanisms: splitting/recombination and chaotic advection. The splitting and recombination (in other term, lamination) mechanism is obtained by the successive arrangement of 'F'-shape mixing units in two layers. The chaotic advection is induced by the overall three-dimensional serpentine path of the microchannel. Chaotic mixing performance of the SLM was fully characterized numerically. To compare the mixing performance, a T-type micromixer which has the same width, height and length of the SLM was also designed. The three-dimensional numerical mixing simulations show the superiority of the SLM over the T-type micromixer. From the cross-sectional simulation results of mixing patterns, the chaotic advection effect from the serpentine channel path design acts favorably to realize the ideal lamination of fluid flow as Re increases. Chaotic mixing mechanism, proposed in this study, could be easily integrated in Micro-Total-Analysis-System, Lab-on-a-Chip and so on.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.29 no.10 s.241
• /
• pp.1298-1306
• /
• 2005

In this paper, Part II, we realized the Serpentine Laminating Micromirer (SLM) which was proposed in the accompanying paper, Part I, by means of the injection molding process in mass production. In the SLM, the higher level of chaotic mixing can be achieved by combining two general chaotic mixing mechanisms of splitting/recombination and chaotic advection by the successive arrangement of 'F'-shape mixing units in two layers. Mold inserts for the injection molding process of the SLM were fabricated by SU-8 photolithography and nickel electroplating. The SLM was realized by injection molding of COC (cyclic olefin copolymer) with the fabricated mold inserts and thermal bonding of two injection molded COC substrates. To compare the mixing performance, a T-type micromixer was also fabricated. Mixing performances of micromixers were experimentally characterized in terms of an average mixing color intensity of a pH indicator, phenolphthalein. Experimental results show that the SLM has much better mixing performance than the I-type micromixer and chaotic mixing was successfully achieved from the SLM over the wide range of Reynolds number (Re). The chaotic micromixer, SLM proposed in this study, could be easily integrated in Micro-Total-Analysis- System , Lab-on-a-Chip and so on.

• 한국가시화정보학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2005.12a
• /
• pp.99-102
• /
• 2005

This study was conducted for obtaining the optimized data to build the mixer or micro fluid device as measuring the three dimensions flow field in micro mixer. To acquire the rapid diffusion on the region of low Reynolds (Re < 100), the staggered herringbone mixer using chaotic advection was selected in this case. At first, by conducting the numerical analytical virtual experiment using CFD-ACE+, three dimensions flow field in the micro mixer was estimated As this flow field was proven using defocusing particle tracing method, the behavior of micro flow with three dimensional aspects could be analyzed. Numerical analysis and flow pattern in the micro mixer by experimental verification made to be able to analyze the chaotic advection. These can be important sources for building more optimized form. Verifying the information of three dimensional flow structure, these information can be used as the data for developing and improving the $\mu$ -TAS.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.29 no.2 s.233
• /
• pp.232-238
• /
• 2005

The 'Mixing Index($D_I$)' is used as a conventional guidance measuring the degree of mixing for multiphase flows. For the case when insoluble solutions flow in a passive micromixer, a new method to calculate $D_I$ is proposed. The 'Vortex Index(${\Omega}_I$)' is suggested and formulated. We infer that ${\Omega}_I$ relates to the degree of chaotic advection. Various arbitrary shaped microchannels were tested to calculate the $D_I\;and\;{\Omega}_I$, and then a simple algebraic equation, $D_I=Aexp(B{\Omega}_I)$, is obtained. This equation may be used instead of the conventional partial differential equation, concentration equation, to estimate the degree of mixing.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2005.04a
• /
• pp.1-13
• /
• 2005

Fluid flows within microchannels are characterized by low Reynolds numbers. Therefore the effect of mixing is a crucial factor in design of the channels. Since the action of the electro-osmotic or magnetic forces used in the mixing enhancement is usually periodic in the three-dimensional channel configuration, use of the various concepts of chaotic advection is reasonable in the quantification of the stirring effect. In this paper, the details of the method of material-stretching mapping is explained. The actual application of the method to the screw extruder is also presented.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2004.04a
• /
• pp.1841-1844
• /
• 2004

'Mixing Index($D_I$)'s generally used to measure the degree of mixing. A new method to calculate $D_I$ was proposed, when insoluble solution flows in micromixer. 'Vortex Index (${\Omega}_I$)'which indicate the degree of chaotic advection, is defined and formulated. A lots of arbitrary shaped microchannels were tested to calculate the $D_I$ and ${\Omega}_I$. And then a simple algebraic equation, $D_I=A{\Omega}_I+B$, was obtained. This equation may be used instead of partial differential equation, concentration equation.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2006.08a
• /
• pp.309-312
• /
• 2006

Effective mixing is an important problem in microfluidics for chemical and biomechanical applications. In this study, the influences of the Reynolds number and the oscillating frequency on mixing characteristics of micro-stirrer are studied in a microchannel with single stirrer. The influence of fluid inertial effects in an active mixer is first discussed. It is found that the stirring effects by stirrer oscillation are promptly attenuated at low Reynolds number, which makes greatly difficult the rapid mixing. As the inertial effects are increased, the chaotic advection is generated and then developed. The mixing phase is finally developed some mushroom shaped structure. And the mixing efficiency is also studied as a function of the oscillating frequency. We found that the mixing efficiency does not always increase with higher oscillating frequency of stirrer. Consequently, we found the functional relation between the optimal frequency of a stirrer and the Reynolds number.

• Journal of computational fluids engineering
• /
• v.11 no.4 s.35
• /
• pp.101-106
• /
• 2006

In the microfluidic devices the most important thing is mixing efficiency ol various fluids. In this study a newly designed miler is proposed to enhance the mixing effect with the purpose to apply it to microchannel mixing in a short future. This design is composed of a channel with cross baffles periodically arranged on the both bottom and top surfaces ol the channel. To obtain the yow patterns, the numerical computation was performed by using a commercial code, ANSYS CFX 10.0. To evaluate the mixing performance, we computed Lyapunov exponent and obtained Poincare sections. it was shown that our design provides the excellent mixing effect.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2006.10a
• /
• pp.159-162
• /
• 2006

In the microfluidics devices the most important thing is mixing efficiency of various fluids. In this study a newly designed mixer is proposed to enhance the mixing effect with the purpose to apply it to microchannel mixing in a short future. This design is composed of a channel with cross baffles periodically arranged on the both bottom and top surfaces of the channel. To obtain the flow patterns, the numerical computation was performed by using a commercial code, ANSYS CFX 10.0. To evaluate the mixing performance, we computed Lyapunov exponent and obtained Poincare sections.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.30 no.8 s.251
• /
• pp.796-805
• /
• 2006

In this study, the problem of using the mixing index as a measure of the mixing performance for a certain flow field has been discussed. The flow model subjected to this study is the two-dimensional unsteady lid-driven cavity flow. The transport equation for the concentration within the cavity was solved by using the finite volume method where the convective terms are discretized with the central difference scheme. It was shown that both the concentration dispersion and the mixing index depend highly on the initial distribution of the concentration, and therefore the mixing index obtained from the concentration dispersion equation loses its universal applicability.