Flow Characteristics of Particle Dispersion Type Functional Fluid Induced with AC Electric Field

Abstract

The flow characteristics of functional fluid, which suspended micro scale diamond particles in insulated silicon oil, were investigated by microscopic observation and micro particle image velocimetry. This functional fluid has two specific flow structures induced under the high voltage alternating electric field. One pattern of the flow structure consists of a reciprocating parallel flow generated along an electric flux line in one direction between the electrodes under low-electric-intensity and high-frequency conditions. The other pattern of the flow structure consists of a rotational flow formed under high-electric-intensity and low-frequency conditions. These specific flow structures will contribute actively to a polishing process and to the development of micro fluidic devices in the future. In this study, the electric field conditions to generate the rotational flow structure were discussed. And also the detail structure of the rotational flow was investigated with velocity vector distributions and vorticity distributions.