Numerical simulations of electrokinetically generated micro vortices in microchannels

The technology developed to micro-pattern the electric surface charge to be negative, positive or neutral enables the realization of complex liquid flows in simple microchannels. A commercial CFD code is utilized to numerically simulate a variety of electrokinetically-generated liquid flows in a straight and uniform microchannel due to non-uniform surface charge distributions under a single, externally applied electric field. Design methodologies to generate vortical flow in any desired direction are presented. In particular, surface charge patterns required to generate single or multi, co-rotating or counter-rotating, in-plane or out-of-plane vortices are investigated.