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Numerical simulation on micromixer based on synthetic jet

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Abstract

This paper studied a concept of micromixer with a synthetic jet placed at the bottom of a rectangular channel. Due to periodic ejections from and suctions into the channel, the fluids are mixed effectively. To study the effects of the inlet velocity, the jet intensity and frequency, and the jet location on the mixing efficiency, 3-D numerical simulations of the micromixer have been carried out. It has been found that when the jet intensity and the frequency are fixed, the mixing efficiency increases when Re < 50, and decreases when Re > 50 with the best mixing efficiency achieved at Re = 50. When the ratio of the jet velocity magnitude to the inlet velocity is taken as 10 and the jet frequency is 100 Hz, the mixing index reaches the highest value. It has also been found that to get better mixing efficiency, the orifice of the synthetic jet should be asymmetrically located away from the channel’s centerline.

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Abbreviations

D j :

mass diffusion coefficient, m2/s

D :

inlet width of channel, m

H :

cavity height, m

H c :

channel height, m

L :

orifice length, m

L c :

channel length, m

Mi :

mixing index

P :

pressure, Pa

Re :

Reynolds number

Sc :

Schmitt number

T :

time of period, s

U :

velocity, m/s

U in :

inlet velocity of channel, m/s

V z :

oscillating velocity magnitude, m/s

W :

cavity width, m

c :

concentration

d :

orifice width, m

f :

oscillating frequency, 1/s

t :

time, s

x :

coordinate in x direction, m

y :

coordinate in y direction, m

ν :

viscosity of fluid, m2/s

δ x :

dimensionless x of oscillating wall

δ y :

dimensionless y of oscillating wall

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, USTC, Hefei, 230027, China

    Minghou Liu, Chen Xie, Xiangfeng Zhang & Yiliang Chen

Authors
  1. Minghou Liu
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  2. Chen Xie
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  3. Xiangfeng Zhang
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  4. Yiliang Chen
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Correspondence to Minghou Liu.

Additional information

This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10372099).

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Liu, M., Xie, C., Zhang, X. et al. Numerical simulation on micromixer based on synthetic jet. Acta Mech Sin 24, 629–636 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10409-008-0183-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10409-008-0183-9

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