A Micromixer Using the Taylor-Dean Flow: Rotation Effect of Channel Walls on the Mixing

抄録

Chaotic mixing in four different types of curved-square channels flow has been studied experimentally and numerically. The wall of channel rotates around the center of curvature and a pressure gradient is imposed in the direction toward the exit of the channel. This flow is a kind of Taylor-Dean flow. There are two parameters dominating the flow, the Dean number De and the Taylor number Tr. Effects of four different types of moving walls, an inner wall, a top wall, inner and top walls, and inner, top, and bottom walls on chaotic mixing, are investigated experimentally and numerically. In this paper, we analyze the physical mechanism of chaotic mixing in the Taylor-Dean flow by comparing experimental results and numerical ones. We produced a micromixer model of the curved channel several centimeters long with square cross-section of a few millimeters side. The secondary flow is measured using LIF method to examine secondary flow characteristics. Also we performed three-dimensional numerical simulations with the open source CFD solver, OpenFOAM, for the same configuration as the experimental system to study the mechanism of chaotic mixing.