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Spreadsheet analysis of the field-driven start-up flow in a microfluidic channel
Pranab Kumar Mondal1, Manideep Roy2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Microfluidics and Microscale Transport Processes Laboratory, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India.
Electrophoresis
|April 15, 2021
Summary
Spreadsheet analysis effectively simulates unsteady electroosmotic flow in microfluidic channels. This method accurately captures start-up flows and electrical double-layer effects, offering an intuitive and cost-effective approach for microfluidics research.
Area of Science:
- Microfluidics
- Computational Fluid Dynamics
- Electrokinetics
Background:
- Electroosmotic flow (EOF) is crucial in microfluidic devices.
- Accurate simulation of transient EOF, especially start-up flows, is challenging.
- Traditional numerical methods can be complex and resource-intensive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a spreadsheet-based method for analyzing unsteady electroosmotic flow.
- To demonstrate the implementation of finite difference schemes in spreadsheets.
- To validate the spreadsheet approach against established numerical solutions.
Main Methods:
- Finite difference scheme for discretizing transport equations.
- Implementation within a spreadsheet software.
- Modeling of boundary conditions for electrohydrodynamics.
- Comparison with numerical solutions for electrostatic potential and velocity.
Main Results:
- Spreadsheet analysis accurately replicates numerical solutions for electrostatic potential and flow velocity.
- The method effectively captures transient phenomena, including start-up flows.
- The electrical double layer effect is well-represented by the spreadsheet model.
Conclusions:
- Spreadsheet analysis is a credible and effective tool for simulating electrically actuated microflows.
- This approach offers an intuitive and cost-efficient alternative for microfluidics research.
- The findings open new avenues for microfluidics and microscale transport studies using accessible tools.
