An investigation on the mechanism of droplet formation in a microfluidic T-junction

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Author(s)
Sivasamy, Jayaprakash
Wong, Teck-Neng
Nam-Trung, Nguyen
Kao, Linus Tzu-Hsiang
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2011
Metadata
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This paper reports the findings of a numerical investigation on the droplet break-up in a microfluidic T-junction. The numerical flow visualization of the droplet formation process is validated with the experimental flow visualization. From the computational results, we show that the pressure profile of the dispersed phase and the continuous phase in the squeezing regime changes as the droplet break-up process proceeds. The assumption taken by other researchers that the dispersed phase pressure profile, during the droplet formation process at a T-junction, remains constant and only the continuous phase pressure changes ...
View more >This paper reports the findings of a numerical investigation on the droplet break-up in a microfluidic T-junction. The numerical flow visualization of the droplet formation process is validated with the experimental flow visualization. From the computational results, we show that the pressure profile of the dispersed phase and the continuous phase in the squeezing regime changes as the droplet break-up process proceeds. The assumption taken by other researchers that the dispersed phase pressure profile, during the droplet formation process at a T-junction, remains constant and only the continuous phase pressure changes according to the blockage of the channel is proved to be invalid. We provide new insights on the pressure difference between the dispersed phase and the continuous phase during the droplet break-up process and show that the minimum pressure difference happens at the last moment of the droplet break-up and not during the second and third stage of the droplet formation mechanism in the squeezing regime as suggested by other researchers.
View less >
View more >This paper reports the findings of a numerical investigation on the droplet break-up in a microfluidic T-junction. The numerical flow visualization of the droplet formation process is validated with the experimental flow visualization. From the computational results, we show that the pressure profile of the dispersed phase and the continuous phase in the squeezing regime changes as the droplet break-up process proceeds. The assumption taken by other researchers that the dispersed phase pressure profile, during the droplet formation process at a T-junction, remains constant and only the continuous phase pressure changes according to the blockage of the channel is proved to be invalid. We provide new insights on the pressure difference between the dispersed phase and the continuous phase during the droplet break-up process and show that the minimum pressure difference happens at the last moment of the droplet break-up and not during the second and third stage of the droplet formation mechanism in the squeezing regime as suggested by other researchers.
View less >
Journal Title
Microfluidics and Nanofluidics
Volume
11
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2011 Springer Berlin Heidelberg. This is an electronic version of an article published in Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, Volume 11, Issue 1, pp 1-10, 2011. Microfluidics and Nanofluidics is available online at: http://link.springer.com/ with the open URL of your article.
Subject
Mechanical engineering
Engineering practice and education not elsewhere classified
Nanotechnology