Electrically-excited (electroosmotic) flows in microchannels for mixing applications

We propose an asymptotic model for quite general liquid microchannel flows in the presence of electrical double layers (EDLs). The model provides an “inner” solution for the wall layer, which reflects the dominant balance between electrical forces and viscous forces (tangentially), respectively between electrical forces and pressure and viscous forces (normally). The electrically-neutral core of the flow is governed by the standard Navier–Stokes equations, providing the “outer” solution. The asymptotic matching of both solutions provides a method for the simplified numerical treatment of such EDLs. The superposition of the solutions in both regions then allows to infer an approximate solution, valid within the entire domain.Based on this model, we apply external oscillatory electrical fields to excite secondary flows (i) in microchannels with an internal obstacle or (ii) in folded (meander) microchannels. These secondary flows are demonstrated to greatly enhance the mixing of two liquids flowing in a layered fashion through these microchannels. Thus, electrical excitation has considerable potential if micromixers for ionic liquids are designed within electrically-insulating (e.g. plastics, glass) substrates.