A new electromagnetic micromixer for the mixing of two electrolyte solutions

• Published in: Journal of mechanical science and technology Vol. 33; no. 12; pp. 5989 - 5998
• Main Authors: Chen, Yiping, Fan, Xiaowen, Kim, Chang Nyung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers 01-12-2019; Springer Nature B.V; 대한기계학회
• Subjects: Computational fluid dynamics; Control; Ducts; Dynamical Systems; Electrodes; Electrolytes; Engineering; Flow characteristics; Industrial and Production Engineering; Lorentz force; Magnetic fields; Magnetism; Magnetohydrodynamics; Mechanical Engineering; Numerical analysis; Pumping; Vibration; 기계공학; Mixing performance; Micromixer; Lorentz force; CFX; Electrolyte solution
• ISSN: 1738-494X; 1976-3824
• DOI: 10.1007/s12206-019-1143-y

A novel magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) micro-mixer is proposed in this current study, and performed is the numerical analysis of the mixing features of two different electrolyte solutions in this device with the uniformly applied magnetic field. This fluidic device is designed in a minimized size, with mixing and pumping functions. In this device, there exist two or three curved-walled regions responsible for mixing or pumping, and three or four rectangular ducts for the inflow-, middle-, and outflow-channels. The current, induced from two different electrodes applying different electric potentials, is coupled with the applied magnetic field, yielding Lorentz force to propel the two solutions to mix. Within the mixer, the fluid is directed to flow along the curved surface in the curved-walled regions, and to move forward to the outlet. CFX code is utilized to analyze the flow characteristics. This study investigates the mixing efficiency in diverse cases with different voltages of the electrodes and with different geometries of the mixing region. The results testify that the novel mixer shows higher mixing performance when higher input voltages (absolute value) are applied to the electrodes of the mixing region, when the input voltages (absolute value) applied to the electrodes of the pumping region is lower, and when more mixing regions are adopted.