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Effects of topological changes in microchannel geometries on the asymmetric breakup of a droplet

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Abstract

Passive asymmetric breakups of a droplet could be done in many microchannels of various geometries. In order to study the effects of different geometries on the asymmetric breakup of a droplet, four types of asymmetric microchannels with the topological equivalence of geometry are designed, which are T-90, Y-120, Y-150, and I-180 microchannels. A three-dimensional volume of fluid multiphase model is employed to investigate the asymmetric rheological behaviors of a droplet numerically. Three regimes of rheological behaviors as a function of the capillary numbers Ca and the asymmetries As defined by As = (b1 − b2)/(b1 + b2) (where b1 and b2 are the widths of two asymmetric sidearms) have been observed. A power law model based on three major factors (Ca, As and the initial volume ratio r 0) is employed to describe the volume ratio of two daughter droplets. The analysis of pressure fields shows that the pressure gradient inside the droplet is one of the major factors causing the droplet translation during its asymmetric breakup. Besides the above similarities among various microchannels, the asymmetric breakup in them also have some slight differences as various geometries have different enhancement or constraint effects on the translation of the droplet and the cutting action of flows. It is disclosed that I-180 microchannel has the smallest critical capillary number, the shortest splitting time, and is hardest to generate satellite droplets.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided to this study by Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (973 Program) (No. 2012CB720305), and by the National Science Foundation of China (21376162, 21576185).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, People’s Republic of China

    Manman Zheng, Yunli Ma, Taoming Jin & Jingtao Wang

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  1. Manman Zheng
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  2. Yunli Ma
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  3. Taoming Jin
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Correspondence to Jingtao Wang.

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Zheng, M., Ma, Y., Jin, T. et al. Effects of topological changes in microchannel geometries on the asymmetric breakup of a droplet. Microfluid Nanofluid 20, 107 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-016-1776-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-016-1776-4

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