Geometry-controlled droplet generation in head-on microfluidic devices

Lingling Shui; Friedrich Gunther Mugele; Albert van den Berg; Jan C.T. Eijkel

doi:10.1063/1.3000624

Geometry-controlled droplet generation in head-on microfluidic devices

Lingling Shui, Friedrich Gunther Mugele, Albert van den Berg, Jan C.T. Eijkel

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

33 Citations (Scopus)

16 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

We investigated the generation of droplets in a head-on microfluidic device operated with the two identical channels as inlets and the “long leg��? as a constriction channel leading to a wider outlet section. For capillary numbers (Ca) of approximately 10-5 or less, we find a Ca-independent droplet volume equal to the volume of the constriction channel, which decreases at higher Ca when shear forces become relevant. The droplet generation mechanism is explained in terms of a global capillary instability involving surprisingly stable intermediate surface configurations.

Original language	Undefined
Pages (from-to)	153113
Number of pages	3
Journal	Applied physics letters
Volume	93
Issue number	15
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3000624
Publication status	Published - Oct 2008

Keywords

EWI-14748
IR-61462
METIS-250270

Access to Document

10.1063/1.3000624

http://eprints.eemcs.utwente.nl/secure2/14748/01/APL_article_Lingling.pdf

Cite this

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AU - Mugele, Friedrich Gunther

AU - van den Berg, Albert

AU - Eijkel, Jan C.T.

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PY - 2008/10

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N2 - We investigated the generation of droplets in a head-on microfluidic device operated with the two identical channels as inlets and the “long leg��? as a constriction channel leading to a wider outlet section. For capillary numbers (Ca) of approximately 10-5 or less, we find a Ca-independent droplet volume equal to the volume of the constriction channel, which decreases at higher Ca when shear forces become relevant. The droplet generation mechanism is explained in terms of a global capillary instability involving surprisingly stable intermediate surface configurations.

AB - We investigated the generation of droplets in a head-on microfluidic device operated with the two identical channels as inlets and the “long leg��? as a constriction channel leading to a wider outlet section. For capillary numbers (Ca) of approximately 10-5 or less, we find a Ca-independent droplet volume equal to the volume of the constriction channel, which decreases at higher Ca when shear forces become relevant. The droplet generation mechanism is explained in terms of a global capillary instability involving surprisingly stable intermediate surface configurations.

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KW - IR-61462

KW - METIS-250270

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