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MODELLING TWO–PHASE FLOW IN MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Mario De Menech
Mario De Menech*
Affiliation:
Unilever R&D, Olivier van Noortlaan 120 3133 AT Vlaardingen, The Netherlands e-mail: Mario.De-Menech@Unilever.com
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Abstract

A phase–field method is used to model two–phase flow in microfluidic devices, where capillary and viscous stresses dominate over inertial forces. Dissipative and reactive couplings in the hydrodynamic equations are derived from a Cahn–Hilliard–van der Waals free energy, which accounts for the equilibrium thermodynamics of the fluid system, including phase behavior, interfacial tension and wetting properties. The singularities inherent to the free boundary description are smoothed out by the presence of a diffuse interface over which interfacial stresses are distributed, such that complex phenomena like droplet breakup and coalescence or contact line dynamics can be resolved numerically. The reliability of the scheme used to solve the discretized transport equations is tested against different benchmarks for free flow conditions. The model is then applied to the simulation of the flow of droplets in microdevices, resulting in a satisfactory agreement with the behavior observed in experiments.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 790: Symposium P – Dynamics in Small Confining Systems–2003 , 2003 , P7.31
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

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References

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