Title :
Novel applications of thermally controlled microbubble driving system
Author :
Takahashi, K. ; Yoshino, K. ; Hatano, S. ; Nagayama, K. ; Asano, T.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Aeronaut. & Astronaut., Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka, Japan
Abstract :
Novel applications of microbubble migration controlled by microheaters are proposed and demonstrated. One is a liquid-film-type motor/conveyer. Vapor or gas bubbles in the cavities on rotor are driven based on Marangoni effect caused by the microheaters on stator. The other is a "valve-less" valve, which is made of in-line microheaters at an intersection of microchannels, where a microbubble moves according to the thermocapillary force and shuts-off liquid flow due to its surface hardness with no mechanical part. With the developments of these new devices, the mechanisms of heat transfer and fluid motion around the microbubble are discussed.
Keywords :
bubbles; heat transfer; microfluidics; micromotors; microvalves; surface tension; MEMS device; Marangoni effect; fluid motion; heat transfer; liquid flow; liquid-film-type motor/conveyer; microbubble driving system; microheater; rotor; stator; surface hardness; thermal control; thermocapillary force; valve-less valve; Actuators; Control systems; Fluid flow; Microchannel; Microelectronics; Micromechanical devices; Space technology; Surface tension; Temperature dependence; Thermal force;
Conference_Titel :
Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, 2001. MEMS 2001. The 14th IEEE International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Interlaken, Switzerland
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-5998-4
DOI :
10.1109/MEMSYS.2001.906534