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Control of slippage with tunable bubble mattresses
Elif Karatay1, A Sander Haase, Claas Willem Visser
1Soft Matter, Fluidics, and Interfaces Group, Mesa+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Department of Science and Technology, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
Summary
Superhydrophobic microfluidic devices enable stable microbubbles for drag reduction. Optimal bubble geometry achieved up to 23% drag reduction by controlling hydrodynamic boundary conditions.
Area of Science:
- Fluid dynamics
- Surface science
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Drag reduction is crucial for fluid transport efficiency.
- Superhydrophobic surfaces offer potential for drag reduction via gas-liquid interfaces.
- Controlling interface geometry for stable, optimal bubble formation is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop superhydrophobic microfluidic devices with stable, controllable microbubbles.
- To investigate the impact of microbubble geometry on hydrodynamic slippage.
- To quantify drag reduction achieved through optimized interfacial conditions.
Main Methods:
- Experimental investigation using microfluidic devices with superhydrophobic surfaces.
- Numerical simulations to analyze microbubble geometry effects.
- High-resolution microparticle image velocimetry (μPIV) for slip length measurement.
Main Results:
- Stable microbubbles were generated at microchannel boundaries.
- Effective slip length was measured for various microbubble protrusion angles (θ).
- Maximum drag reduction of 23% was numerically predicted at θ ≈ 10°, with experimental validation up to 21%.
Conclusions:
- Superhydrophobic microfluidic devices offer tunable slippage by controlling microbubble geometry.
- Optimal microbubble protrusion angles yield significant drag reduction.
- These devices are vital for enhanced interfacial transport of fluids and particles.
