Abstract
A novel no-moving-part valve was developed mainly for applications in microchemistry, where Reynolds numbers tend to be extremely low. The valve of very small size and working with viscous biological fluids was designed for operating at Re values between 10 and 100. In this range, the inertial jet flow effects used in standard fluidics could not be relied upon and a qualitatively new operating principle was introduced: the control fluid forms a “plug” at the entrance of the collector, precluding an entry of the main fluid flow. In particular, an array of new valves was used in a selector unit to allow a single reagent flow into a reactor from several available sources. The flow visualization validated the assumptions on which the design is based and compared well with numerical flowfield computations.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Katsumata, Y., Katsumata, R. and Yamamoto T, Tamaki K., Estimating Probabilities and Dealing with Mutations in Paternity Testing, Nippon Hoigaku Zasshi, Jul. 55(2), (2001), 205–216.
Koch, M., Evans, A.G.R. and Brunnschweiler A., Processing and Modelling of Micromachined Cantilever Valves, Colloquium on Microengineered Components for Fluids, (London, UK), IEE, (1996), 8/1–8/3.
Tesař, V., Valvole Fluidiche Senza Parti Mobili (in Italian), Oleodinamica-pneumatica, Revista Delle Applicazioni Fluidodinamiche e Controllo Del Sistemi, ISSN 1122-5017, 39(3), (1998), 216.
Tesař, V., Asymptotic Correlation for Pressure-Assisted Jet-Type Microfluidic Devices, p.85–88, Proc. of Topical Problems of Fluid Mechanics 2000, ISBN 80-85918-55-2, Publ. by Inst. of Thermomechanics AS CR, February, (2000).
Tesař, V., Tippetts, J.R.T., Allen, R.W.K., Fluid Multiplexer, British Patent Application GB 0019767.9, April, (2000).
Tesař, V., Microfluidic Valves for Flow Control at Low Reynolds Numbers, Journal of Visualisation, 4(1), (2001), 51–60.
Tesař, V., Sampling by Fluidics and Microfluidic, Acta Polytechnica — Journal of Advanced Engineering, 42(2), (2002), 41–49. ISSN 1210-2709.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Václav Tesař: He received his Ing. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1963 from ČVUT — Czech Technical University, Praha, Czech Republic. From 1963 to 1999 he was employed at ČVUT Praha as Assistant, later Docent, and finally Full Professor. He recived C.Sc. degree (an equivalent of PhD) from ČVUT Praha in 1972. In 1985 he was Visiting Professor, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan. In 1992 he became Visiting Professor at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, USA. From 1994 to 1998 he was Head of the Department of Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering ČVUT Praha. Currently he is Visiting Professor, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom. His research interests are in shear flows, in particular jets and wall jets and their applications to fluidic no-moving-part flow control (named as the inventor of 195 Czech Patents, mainly on fluidic devices).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tesař, V. “Fluid plug” microfluidic valve for low Reynolds number fluid flow selector units. J Vis 6, 77–85 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03180967
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03180967