title: Application of electrokinetic instability flow for enhanced micromixing in cross-shaped microchannel.
abstract: This paper proposes a cross-shaped micromixer featuring a pair barrier within the mixing channel. The proposed device obtains a rapid mixing of two sample fluids by means of the electrokinetic instability-induced shedding effects which are produced when a DC electric field of an appropriate intensity is applied. The proposed device uses a single high-voltage power source to simultaneously drive and mix the sample fluids. The effectiveness of the mixer is characterized experimentally as a function of the applied electric field intensity and the extent to which a pair barrier obstruct the mixing channel. The experimental results indicate that the mixing performance reaches 96% at a cross-section located 1 mm downstream of the cross-junction when an electric field of 300 V/cm is applied. The micromixing method presented in this study provides a simple low-cost solution to mixing problems in lab-on-a-chip systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Science, National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan 701.
authors.forename: Min-Zhong
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ruey-Jen
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chang-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: Chien-Hsiung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Lung-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D007700:Kinetics; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods