Analytical model of plug flow in microchannels

Author

Che, Zhizhao ; Wong, Teck Neng ; Nguyen, Nam-Trung

Author_Institution

Sch. of Mech. & Aerosp. Eng., Nanyang Technol. Univ., Singapore, Singapore

fYear

2011

fDate

20-23 Feb. 2011

Firstpage

905

Lastpage

908

Abstract

Plug flow in microchannels is of great importance in microfluidics as it offers many advantages over continuous-flow microfluidics for various applications of lab-on-a-chip platforms. By confining fluids in small plugs of nanoliter scale, recirculation is formed. To increases our understanding of the flow pattern within liquid plugs, an analytical model of liquid plugs moving in microchannels is presented in this paper. The flow field is obtained by solving partial differential equations with corresponding boundary conditions in the microchannel. The comparison with experimental results from micro particle image velocimetry shows reasonable agreement. The model presented in this paper can be used to predict the flow pattern within liquid plugs, and it is helpful for vortex pattern manipulation in various applications of droplet-based microfluidics.

Keywords

drops; lab-on-a-chip; microchannel flow; partial differential equations; pattern formation; two-phase flow; vortices; confining fluid analysis; continuous microfluidics flow; droplet-based microfluidics analysis; flow pattern; lab-on-a-chip platform; liquid plug analytical model; microchannel boundary condition; microchannel flow; microparticle image velocimetry; partial differential equations; plug flow; vortex pattern; Analytical models; Fluids; Mathematical model; Microchannel; Microfluidics; Plugs; analytical model; droplet; flow field; microfluidics; plug; recirculation;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Nano/Micro Engineered and Molecular Systems (NEMS), 2011 IEEE International Conference on

Conference_Location

Kaohsiung

Print_ISBN

978-1-61284-775-7

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/NEMS.2011.6017500

Filename

6017500