title: Lattice Boltzmann model of microfluidics in the presence of external forces.
abstract: We present here a lattice Boltzmann model in the presence of external force fields to describe electrokinetic microfluidic phenomena and consider pressure as the only external force to drive liquid flow. Our results from a 9-bit square lattice Boltzmann model are in good agreement with recent experimental data in a pressure-driven microchannel flow that could not be fully described by electrokinetic theory. The differences between the predicted and the experimental Reynolds numbers from pressure gradients are well within 5%. Results suggest that the lattice Boltzmann model described here is an effective computational tool for predicting the more complex microfluidic systems that might be problematic using conventional methods.
authors.affiliation: Nanoscale Technology and Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G8, Canada.
authors.forename: Baoming
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Daniel Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kwok