Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) is becoming more popular every day among developers of applications based on microfluidics, such as “lab on a chip” (LOC) and/or “micro-total analysis systems” (micro-TAS). Its physical properties enable fluid manipulation for tasks such as pumping, networking, propelling, stirring, mixing, and even cooling without the need for mechanical components, and its non-intrusive nature provides a solution to mechanical systems issues. However, these are not easy tasks. They all require precise flow control, which depends on several parameters, like microfluidics conductivity, the microfluidics conduit (channel) shape and size configuration, and the interaction between magnetic and electric fields. This results in a mathematical model that needs to be validated theoretically and experimentally. The present paper introduces the design of a 3D laminar flow involving an electrolyte in an annular open channel driven by a Lorentz force. For an organized description, first of all is provided an introduction to MHD applied in microfluidics, then an overall description of the proposed MHD microfluidic system is given, after that is focused in the theoretical validation of the mathematical model, next is described the experimental validation of the mathematical model using a customized vision system, and finally conclusions and future work are stated.
The development of microelectromechanical systems based on magnetohydrodynamic for micro-robot applications requires precise control of the micro-flow behavior. The micro-flow channel design and its performance under the influence of the Lorentz force is a critical challenge, the mathematical model of each magnetohydrodynamic device design must be experimentally validated before to be employed in the fabrication of microelectromechanical systems. For this purpose, the present article proposes the enhancement of a particle image velocimetry measurement process in a customized machine vision system. The particle image velocimetry measurements are performed for the micro-flow velocity profile mathematical model validation of a magnetohydrodynamic stirrer prototype. Data mining and filtering have been applied to a raw measurement database from the customized machine vision system designed to evaluate the magnetohydrodynamic stirrer prototype. Outlier’s elimination and smoothing have been applied to raw data to approximate the particle image velocimetry measurements output to the velocity profile mathematical model to increase the accuracy of a customized machine vision system for two-dimensional velocity profile measurements. The accurate measurement of the two-dimensional velocity profile is fundamental owing to the requirement of future enhancement of the customized machine vision system to construct the three-dimensional velocity profile of the magnetohydrodynamic stirrer prototype. The presented methodology can be used for measurement and validation in the design of microelectromechanical systems micro-robot design and any other devices that require micro-flow manipulation for tasks such as stirring, pumping, mixing, networking, propelling, and even cooling.
Se presentan los resultados de la estimación de incertidumbre de un sistema de visión para la evaluación experimental de un mezclador magneto-hidrodinámico (MHD, por sus siglas en inglés). Dicha evaluación fue realizada a través de un sistema de visión diseñado para realizar mediciones de velocidad sobre la superficie libre del micro-fluido contenido en el mezclador MHD. La estructura del mezclador se clasifica como un canal anular abierto. El canal esta formados por dos cilindros de material conductor, una base aislante y una superficie abierta. El canal anular contiene un micro-fluido de baja conductividad, el cual es gobernado por la ley de Lorenz, debido a la presencia de un campo magnético y un campo eléctrico, resultando en un proceso de mezclado. La manipulación de fluidos a través de la MHD es muy útil y de gran interés para el diseño de sofisticados sistemas micro-electromecánicos (MEMS, de sus siglas en inglés), en especial para sistemas de microanálisis total (μTAS, por sus siglas en inglés), también conocidos como dispositivos laboratorio-en-un-chip (LOC, por sus siglas en inglés). Sin embargo, no es una tarea fácil, para un control preciso del micro-fluido se requiere considerar en el diseño de los mezcladores parámetros como la forma y tamaño del canal, conductividad del micro-fluido, y la interacción de los campos magnético y eléctrico. Además, se requiere de una herramienta que permita evaluar el comportamiento del micro-fluido, en esta ocasión, un sistema de visión basado en velocimetría en imágenes de partículas (PIV, por sus siglas en inglés).
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