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Micromixing Within Microfluidic Devices

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Microfluidics

Part of the book series: Topics in Current Chemistry ((TOPCURRCHEM,volume 304))

Abstract

Micromixing is a crucial process within microfluidic systems such as micro total analysis systems (μTAS). A state-of-art review on microstructured mixing devices and their mixing phenomena is given. The review first presents an overview of the characteristics of fluidic behavior at the microscale and their implications in microfluidic mixing processes. According to the two basic principles exploited to induce mixing at the microscale, micromixers are generally classified as being passive or active. Passive mixers solely rely on pumping energy, whereas active mixers rely on an external energy source to achieve mixing. Typical types of passive micromixers are discussed, including T- or Y-shaped, parallel lamination, sequential, focusing enhanced mixers, and droplet micromixers. Examples of active mixers using external forces such as pressure field, electrokinetic, dielectrophoretic, electrowetting, magneto-hydrodynamic, and ultrasound to assist mixing are presented. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of mixing in a microfluidic environment are discussed.

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Abbreviations

A :

Cross-sectional area (m2)

Ca :

Capillary number

D :

Diffusion coefficient (m2 s−1)

D h :

Hydraulic diameter (m)

f :

Frequency of the disturbance action

h :

Height of the channels (m)

j :

Diffusion flux (mol m−2 s−1)

k :

Boltzmann’s constant (k = 1.381·10−23J K−1)

n :

Number of parallel fluid substreams

Pe :

Peclét number

P wet :

Wetted perimeter (m)

Q 1 :

Volumetric flow rates for the lateral channels (m3 s−1)

Q 2 :

Volumetric flow rates of the central inlet channel (m3 s−1)

Q 3 :

Volumetric flow rates for the lateral channels (m3 s−1)

Q f :

Volumetric flow rates of the focused stream (m3 s−1)

R :

Radius of the particles (or molecules) (m)

Re :

Reynolds number

St :

Strouhal number

t :

Time (s)

T :

Absolute temperature

u :

Velocity of fluid (m s−1)

v 2 :

Average flow velocity of the flow within central inlet channel (m s−1)

v f :

Average flow velocity of the flow within focused stream (m s−1)

v o :

Average flow velocities of the flow within the mixing channel (m s−1)

w 2 :

Width of central inlet channel (m)

w f :

Width of the focused stream (m)

w o :

Width of the mixing channel (m)

x :

Position of the species (m)

γ :

Interfacial tension (N m−1)

ϕ :

Species concentration (Kg m−3)

ρ :

Fluid density (kg m−3)

μ :

Fluid dynamic viscosity (Pa s)

ν :

Fluid kinematic viscosity (m2 s−1)

μTAS:

Micro total analysis systems

ASM:

Asymmetric serpentine micromixer

CDM:

Circulation–disturbance micromixer

CGM:

Connected-groove micromixer

CMM:

Crossing manifold micromixer

EKI:

Elecrokinetic instability

EWDO:

Electrowetting on dielectrics

LOC:

Lab on a chip

MHD:

Magneto hydrodynamic

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

PSM:

Planar serpentine micromixer

SAR:

Split-and-recombine micromixers, sequential lamination micromixers

SGM:

Slanted-groove micromixer

SHM:

Staggered-herringbone micromixers

SOC:

Staggered overlapping crisscross micromixer

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  1. School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK

    Lorenzo Capretto, Wei Cheng, Martyn Hill & Xunli Zhang

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  1. The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, ZhongShan Road 457, Dalian, 116023, China, People's Republic

    Bingcheng Lin

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Capretto, L., Cheng, W., Hill, M., Zhang, X. (2011). Micromixing Within Microfluidic Devices. In: Lin, B. (eds) Microfluidics. Topics in Current Chemistry, vol 304. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/128_2011_150

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