• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.03b
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• pp.2-5
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• 2008

This study describes the numerical simulation of three-dimensional droplet formation and the following motion in a cross-junction microchannel by using the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM). Our aim is to develop the three-dimensional binary fluids model, consisting of two sets of distribution functions to represent the total fluid density and the density difference, which introduces the repulsive interaction consistent with a free-energy function between two fluids. We validated the LBM code with the velocity profile in a 3-dimensional rectangular channel. Then, we applied our code to the numerical simulation of a binary fluid flow in a cross-junction channel focusing on the investigation of the droplet formulation. Due to the pressure and interfacial-tension effect, one component of the fluids which is injected from one inlet is cut off into many droplets periodically by the other component which is injected from the other inlets. We considered the effect of the boundary conditions for density difference (order parameter) on the wetting of the droplet to the side walls.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.671-677
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• 2010

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%).

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.227-236
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• 2016

In the present experimental study, the effect of gas- and liquid-injected methods on the formation of bubble and liquid slug at the merging micro T-junction of a square microchannel with dimensions $600{\mu}m{\times}600{\mu}m$ was investigated. Nitrogen and water were used as test fluids. The superficial velocities of the liquid and gas were in the range of 0.05 - 1 m/s, and 0.1 - 1 m/s, respectively, where the Taylor flow was observed. The bubble length, liquid slug length, bubble velocity, and bubble generation frequency were measured by analyzing the images captured using a high-speed camera. Under similar inlet superficial velocity conditions, in the case of gas injection to the main channel at the merging T-junction (T_gas-liquid), the lengths of the bubble and liquid slug were longer, and the bubble generation frequency was lower than in the case of liquid injection to the main channel at the merging T-junction (T_liquid-gas). On the other hand, in both cases, the bubble velocity was almost the same. The previous correlation proposed using experimental data for T_liquid-gas had predicted the present experimental data of bubble length, bubble velocity, liquid slug length, and bubble generation frequency for T_gas-liquid to be ~24%, ~9%, ~39%, ~55%, respectively.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.409-425
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• 2014

Converging flows of a gas and a liquid at a microchannel cross junction, under proper conditions, can result in the formation of periodic, dispersed microslugs. This microslug formation phenomenon has been proposed as the basis for a fuel injection system in a novel, 'discrete' monopropellant microthruster designed for use in next-generation miniaturized satellites. Previous experimental studies demonstrated the ability to generate fuel slugs with characteristics commensurate with the intended application during steady-state operation. In this work, numerical and experimental techniques are used to study the effect of valve actuation on slug characteristics, and the results are used to compare with equivalent steady-state slugs. Computational simulations of a valve with a 1 ms valve-actuation cycle show that as the ratio of the response time of the valve to the fully open time is increased, transient effects can increase slug length by up to 17%. The simulations also demonstrate that the effect of the valve is largely independent of surface tension coefficient, which is the thermophysical parameter most responsible for slug formation characteristics. Flow visualization experiments performed using a miniature valve with a 20 ms response time showed less than a 1% change in the length of slugs formed during the actuation cycle. The results of this study indicate that impulse bit and thrust calculations can discount transient effects for slower valves, but as valve technology improves transient effects may become more significant.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.597-601
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• 2013

In this study, we present simple microfluidic approach for the synthesis of monodisperse microcapsules by using droplet-based system. We generate double emulsion through single step in the microfluidic device having single junction while conventional approaches are limited in surface treatment for the generation of double emulsion. First, we have injected disperse fluid containing FC-77 oil and photocurable ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate (ETPTA) and water containing 3 wt% poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as continuous phase into microfluidic device. Under the condition, we easily generate double emulsion with high monodispersity by using flow focusing. The double emulsion droplets are transformed into microcapsules under the UV irradiation via photopolymerization. In addition, we control thickness of double emulsion's shell by controlling flow rate of ETPTA. We also show that the size of double emulsions can be controlled by manipulation of flow rate of continuous phase. Furthermore, we synthesize microcapsules encapsulating various materials for the application of drug delivery systems.