Effects of Sweeping Jet Actuator Parameters on Flow Separation Control.

A parametric experimental study was performed with sweeping jet actuators (fluidic oscillators) to determine their effectiveness in controlling flow separation on an adverse pressure gradient ramp. Actuator parameters that were investigated include blowing coefficients, operation mode, pitch and spreading angles, streamwise location, and size. Surface pressure measurements and surface oilflow visualization were used to characterize the effects of these parameters on the actuator performance. 2D Particle Image Velocimetry measurements of the flow field over the ramp and hot-wire measurements of the actuator's jet flow were also obtained for selective cases. In addition, the sweeping jet actuators were compared to other well-known flow control techniques such as micro-vortex generators, steady blowing, and steady vortex-generating jets. The results confirm that the sweeping jet actuators are more effective than steady blowing and steady vortex-generating jets for this ramp configuration. The results also suggest that an actuator with a wider jet spreading (110 vs. 70 degrees) placed closer (2.3 vs. 7 boundary layer thickness upstream) to the flow separation location provides better performance. Different actuator sizes obtained by scaling down the actuator geometry produced different jet spreading. Scaling down the actuator (based on the throat dimensions) from 6.35 × 3.18 mm to 3.81 × 1.9 mm resulted in similar flow control performance; however, scaling down the actuator further to 1.9 × 0.95 mm reduced the actuator efficiency by reducing the jet spreading considerably. The results of this study provide insight that can be used to design and select the optimal sweeping jet actuator configuration for flow control applications.

Negative dielectrophoretic capture of bacterial spores in food matrices.

A microfluidic device with planar square electrodes is developed for capturing particles from high conductivity media using negative dielectrophoresis (n-DEP). Specifically, Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium sporogenes spores, and polystyrene particles are tested in NaCl solution (0.05 and 0.225 S∕m), apple juice (0.225 S∕m), and milk (0.525 S∕m). Depending on the conductivity of the medium, the Joule heating produces electrothermal flow (ETF), which continuously circulates and transports the particles to the DEP capture sites. Combination of the ETF and n-DEP results in different particle capture efficiencies as a function of the conductivity. Utilizing 20 µm height DEP chambers, "almost complete" and rapid particle capture from lower conductivity (0.05 S∕m) medium is observed. Using DEP chambers above 150 µm in height, the onset of a global fluid motion for high conductivity media is observed. This motion enhances particle capture on the electrodes at the center of the DEP chamber. The n-DEP electrodes are designed to have well defined electric field minima, enabling sample concentration at 1000 distinct locations within the chip. The electrode design also facilitates integration of immunoassay and other surface sensors onto the particle capture sites for rapid detection of target micro-organisms in the future.

Acoustophoresis in shallow microchannels.

Acoustophoretic (AP) motion of spherical polystyrene particles in a steady pressure driven flow is investigated in shallow microchannels, where the channel height is comparable to the particle diameter. Particle trajectories at different ultrasonic actuation amplitudes are extracted by a particle tracking algorithm. Depths of the particles are predicted using the streamwise particle speed that is due to the pressure driven flow. The particle depths are shown to be influenced by the actuation voltage. The particle migration along the channel height is explained using the second-order perturbation theory. The particle equation of motion is employed to extract the AP force. Wall effects are included in the analysis of both particle depth and force predictions. Differences as large as 20% in the AP force magnitude due to the wall corrections are reported. The AP force is also calculated using the theoretical force expression, and compared with the experimental results. The focal length, which is the necessary distance to effectively concentrate particles in a microchannel, is calculated using the analytical solution of the particle equation of motion. The calculated force and the focusing length agree well with the experimental results. The focal length is critical for the design of micro sample concentration devices.

Particle trapping in high-conductivity media with electrothermally enhanced negative dielectrophoresis.

We demonstrate negative dielectrophoresis (DEP) trapping of particles from high-conductivity media using a novel planar microelectrode that allows electrothermal enhancement of DEP traps. DEP force and electrothermal flow motion are investigated using a scaling analysis, numerical simulations, and experiments. Results show that the DEP trapping is enhanced by lateral transport of particles toward the capture zones due to electrothermal flow, whereas DEP trapping occurred only in limited spatial ranges without the flow motion. The electrothermally enhanced DEP will broaden the limit of electrokinetic manipulations in high-conductivity media. By providing patterned trapping zones that can act as target-specific attachment/detection sites, the presented device allows development of biosensor applications for rapid detection of pathogens and other microorganisms within a practical range of buffer conductivity.