Abstract
Convective micromixers allow fast mixing with characteristic times below 1 ms by creating vortices in bends or junctions of microchannels. Their robustness and comparatively high throughput make them suitable for process intensification purposes. In this contribution, T-shaped micromixers with rectangular cross section and meandering structures as basic elements are numerically investigated for Reynolds numbers from 0.01 to 1000 in the mixing channel. Static and transient mixing regimes in T-mixers are described up to the transition to turbulence, where a worsening of mixing is found. Different experimental results confirm the simulations and lead to the convective lamination model. This model links the energy dissipation to mixing similar to a modeling of turbulent mixing. Additional to mixing of two fluids, also wall contact of fluids in channel flow is investigated with a catalyzed chemiluminescence reaction. With this method, dead zones can be made visible.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bałdyga, J., Bourne, J.R.: Turbulent Mixing and Chemical Reactions, 1st edn. Wiley VCH, Weinheim (1999)
Berger, S.A., Talbot, L., Yao, L.S.: Flow in curved pipes. Annu. Rev. of Fluid Mech. 15, 461–512 (1983)
Bothe, D., Stemich, C., Warnecke, H.J.: Fluid mixing in a T-shaped micro-mixer. Chem. Eng. Sci. 61, 2950–2958 (2006)
Bourne, J.R.: Mixing and the selectivity of chemical reactions. Org. Proc. Res. Dev. 7(4), 471–508 (2003)
Chao, S., Holl, M.R., Koschwanez, J.H., Seriburi, P., Meldrum, D.R.: Scaling for microfluidic mixing. In: Proc. of ICMM 2005, 3rd Int. Conf. on Microchannels and Minichannels, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (2005) 75236
Cybulski, A., Moulijn, J.A., Sharma, M.M., Sheldon, R.A. (eds.): Fine Chemicals Manufacture: Technology and Engineering. Elsevier, Amsterdam (2001)
Danckwerts, P.V.: The definition and measurement of some characteristics of mixtures. Appl. Sci. Res. A 3, 279–296 (1952)
Dreher, S.: Fertigung und Charakterisierung eines Mikroreaktors zur Aerosolbildung. Diploma thesis, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (2005)
Engler, M.: Simulation, Design, and Analytical Modelling of Passive Convective Micromixers for Chemical Production Purposes. Shaker Verlag, Aachen (2006)
Gobert, C., Schwertfirm, F., Manhart, M.: Lagrangian scalar tracking for laminar micromixing at high Schmidt numbers. In: Proceedings of FEDSM 2006, ASME, FEDSM 2006-98035, Miami, Florida, USA (2006)
Guichardon, P., Falk, L., Villermaux, J.: Characterization of micromixing efficiency by the iodide-iodate reaction system. Part I: Experimental procedure; Part II: Kinetic study. Chem. Eng. Sci. 55(19), 4233–4253 (2000)
Heim, M., Wengeler, R., Nirschl, H., Kasper, G.: Particle deposition from aerosol flow inside a T-shaped micro-mixer. J. Micromech. Microeng. 16, 70–76 (2006)
Howell Jr., P.B., Mott, D.R., Golden, J.P., Ligler, F.S.: Design and evaluation of a dean vortex-based micromixer. Lab on a Chip 4, 663–669 (2004)
Kockmann, N.: Transport Phenomena in Micro Process Engineering. Heat and Mass Transfer. Springer, Berlin (2008)
Kockmann, N., Kiefer, T., Engler, M., Woias, P.: Convective mixing and chemical reactions in microchannels with high flow rates. Sensors and Actuators B 117(2), 495–508 (2006)
Kockmann, N., Dreher, S., Engler, M., Woias, P.: Simulation and characterization of microreactors for aerosol generation. Microfluidics and Nanofluidics 3(5), 581–589 (2007)
Levy, Y., Degani, D., Seginer, A.: Graphical visualization of vortical flows by means of helicity. AIAA Journal 28, 1347–1352 (1990)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Dreher, S., Engler, M., Kockmann, N., Woias, P. (2010). Theoretical and Experimental Investigations of Convective Micromixers and Microreactors for Chemical Reactions. In: Bockhorn, H., Mewes, D., Peukert, W., Warnecke, HJ. (eds) Micro and Macro Mixing. Heat and Mass Transfer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04549-3_18
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04549-3_18
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-04548-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-04549-3
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)