Numerical Examination of a Micromixer with Divergent Square Chambers

This study explores the mixing performance of three chaotic planar micromixers, each featuring divergent chamber shapes: circular (DCC), triangular (DTC), and square (DSC). The Navier-Stokes and convection-diffusion transport equations are solved using the Finite Element Method (FEM) for inlet velocities (uin ) ranging from ۰.۱ to ۱ m/s. A comparison of the performance index (PI) of the proposed micromixers reveals that the DSC micromixer achieves the highest performance. Consequently, the mixing process in the DSC micromixer is analyzed by calculating performance factors, including Mixing Efficiency (ME), pressure drop (Δp), and PI. The influences of uin on the width (b) and length (d) of the mixing chamber and the width of the constriction channel (c) on these performance parameters are assessed. The results indicate that ME is an ascending function of uin, b and, d, and a descending function of c. It is found that the formation of vortices influences the PI of the DSC micromixer. For instance, the PI improved from ۰.۰۰۷۳۲ to ۰.۰۰۴۰۵ as it increased from ۰.۰۱ to ۱ m/s. This proposed micromixer is suitable for various microfluidic applications, including chemical reactions and biochemical analyses.

کلیدواژه ها:

Passive micromixer ، Square chamber ، Mixing index ، Pressure drop