Inhomogeneous Fluid Motion Induced by Standing Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW): A Finite Element Study.

Jialong Hu1,2, Chao Zhang1,2, Yufeng Zhou1,2,3

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.

Micromachines
|March 28, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) in microfluidics do not stably relocate fluids due to pressure stratification. However, SAWs create strong folding flows for rapid on-chip mixing applications.

Related Concept Videos

Standing Waves01:17

Standing Waves

Sometimes waves do not seem to move; rather, they just vibrate in place. Unmoving waves can be seen on the surface of a glass of milk kept in a refrigerator, which is one example of standing waves. Vibrations from the refrigerator motor create waves on the milk that oscillate up and down but do not seem to move across the surface. These waves are formed or created by the superposition of two or more identical moving waves in opposite directions. The waves move through each other, with their...
5.8K
Deriving the Speed of Sound in a Liquid01:09

Deriving the Speed of Sound in a Liquid

As with waves on a string, the speed of sound or a mechanical wave in a fluid depends on the fluid's elastic modulus and inertia. The two relevant physical quantities are the bulk modulus and the density of the material. Indeed, it turns out that the relationship between speed and the bulk modulus and density in fluids is the same as that between the speed and the Young's modulus and density in solids.
The speed of sound in fluids can be derived by considering a mechanical wave...
1.1K
Steady, Laminar Flow Between Parallel Plates01:17

Steady, Laminar Flow Between Parallel Plates

Understanding steady, laminar flow between parallel plates is essential for analyzing and designing flow in narrow rectangular channels, commonly found in various water conveyance and drainage systems. The Navier-Stokes equations govern fluid motion and are generally challenging to solve due to their nonlinearity. However, simplifications are possible in certain cases, like the steady laminar flow between parallel plates. For this scenario, we assume steady, incompressible, laminar flow.
997
Standing Waves in a Cavity01:28

Standing Waves in a Cavity

A household microwave and lasers are examples of standing electromagnetic waves in a cavity. When two conducting metal plates are placed parallel at the nodal planes, it creates a cavity where standing waves are formed. The cavity between the two planes is analogous to a stretched string held at the points x = 0 and x = L. Here, the distance 'L' between the two planes must be an integer multiple of half of the wavelength. The wavelengths that satisfy this condition are given by:
1.6K
Fluid Pressure over Curved Plate of Constant Width01:12

Fluid Pressure over Curved Plate of Constant Width

When a curved plate of constant width is submerged in a liquid, the pressure acting normal to the plate varies continuously both in magnitude and direction. Calculating the magnitude and location of the resultant force at a point is often challenging for such cases. One of the methods to determine the resultant force and its location involves separately calculating the horizontal and vertical components of the resultant force. This complex calculation can be simplified by representing the...
2.0K
Velocity and Acceleration of a Wave00:51

Velocity and Acceleration of a Wave

A wave propagates through a medium with a constant speed, known as a wave velocity. It is different from the speed of the particles of the medium, which is not constant. In addition, the velocity of the medium is perpendicular to the velocity of the wave. The variable speed of the particles of the medium implies that there must be acceleration associated with it. 
The velocity of the particles can be obtained by taking the partial derivative of the position equation with respect to time....
5.1K