ELECTROKINETICALLY-DRIVEN VORTICAL MOTION FOR MIXING OF LIQUIDS IN A MICROCHANNEL

摘要

Dramatically enhanced mixing rate of two liquids in a microchannel, due to inhomogeneous surface charge under a steady electric field, is numerically investigated. The negative surface charge over much of the microchannel inner surface provides the mean streamwise flow, while a few small areas of positive surface charge on the top and bottom surfaces lead to transverse velocity components. As a result, the mixing time and length is significantly shortened.