Abstract:

A new type of electro-kinetic micro-mixer with a ring-type channel is introduced for fast mixing. The proposed mixer takes two fluids from different inlets and combines them in a ring-type mixing chamber. The fluids enter two different inlets (inner radius: 25 μm and outer radius: 50 μm), respectively. The total channel length is 500 μm, and four micro-electrodes are positioned on the outer wall of the mixing chamber. The electric potentials on the four micro-electrodes are sinusoidal with time, having various maximum values of voltage, zeta potential and frequency. Also, in order to compare the mixing performance with different obstacle configurations, we performed a numerical analysis using a commercial code, COMSOL. The concentration of the dissolved substances in the working fluid and the flow and electric fields in the channel were investigated and the results were graphically depicted for various flow and electric conditions.

Key Words: Micro-mixer, Mixing Performance, Zeta Potential, Electric Potential.

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