Modeling thermal inkjet and cell printing process using modified pseudopotential and thermal lattice Boltzmann...

Area of Science:

• Multiphase flow dynamics
• Computational fluid dynamics
• Biophysics

Background:

• Lattice Boltzmann methods (LBMs) simulate multiphase flow and phase transitions.
• Coupling with thermal LBMs enables study of high-temperature gradient phenomena.
• Spurious currents at lower temperatures limit current LBM applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To modify LBMs to minimize spurious currents for accurate simulation of nucleation dynamics.
• To model the thermal ejection process in inkjet printing.
• To investigate cell deformation and mechanical damage during printing.

Main Methods:

• Developed modified pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann methods (LBMs).
• Integrated thermal LBMs with an equation of state.
• Employed a spring network model and immersed boundary method for cell deformation.

Main Results:

• Minimized spurious currents, enabling nucleation dynamics study at room temperature.
• Captured high-temperature/density gradients during explosive vaporization.
• Determined that high cell membrane stretching rates increase rupture tension, favoring nanopore creation.

Conclusions:

• The modified LBM platform provides a unified approach for simulating multiphase flow, phase transition, heat transfer, and cell deformation.
• Offers enhanced insight into bubble dynamics and cell mechanical damage in inkjet printing processes.
• Enables more realistic modeling of complex phenomena like thermal inkjet printing.