A new experimental approach to investigate the induced force and velocity elds on a particulate manipulation mechanism

Identication and minimization of error sources are important issues in experimental investigations. Mainly in micro-scale problems, precise settings should be applied to high-tech test beds to reduce disturbance and induced motion. An experimental study is conducted to assess the role of induced forces and velocity elds in a particulate system used for particle identication and separation. Two main eects caused by disturbances are sampling errors and induced motion in the channel, either on uid or dispersed phases. Dierent disturbance scenarios are implemented on the test bed and then the system response is reported. In order to assess induced motion as a result of applied forces, microscopic imaging of particle movement in the channel and image processing of the results, are performed. Results of particle sampling indicate that optimized pneumatic settings should be implemented to secure a safe level of sampling error. Results for induced ow show that the velocity eld can aect the operation of the manipulation mechanism. Methods for capturing the induced force and velocity elds can be implemented in the relevant applications, such as micro-particle systems and cellular studies.