3D Suspended Polymeric Microfluidics (SPMF3) with Flow Orthogonal to Bending (FOB) for Fluid Analysis through Kinematic Viscosity

Abstract

Abstract:Measuring of fluid properties such as dynamic viscosity and density has tremendous potential for various applications from physical to biological to chemical sensing. However, it is almost impossible to affect only one of these properties, as dynamic viscosity and density are coupled. Hence, this paper proposes kinematic viscosity as a comprehensive parameter which can be used to study the effect of fluid properties applicable to various fluids from Newtonian fluids, such as water, to non-Newtonian fluids, such as blood. This paper also proposes an ideal microplatform, namely polymeric suspended microfluidics (SPMF 3 ), with flow plane orthogonal to the bending plane of the structure, along with tested results of various fluids covering a wide range of engineering applications. Kinematic viscosity, also called momentum diffusivity, considers changes in both fluid intermolecular forces and molecular inertia that define dynamic viscosity and fluid density, respectively. In this study a 3D suspended polymeric microfluidic system (SPMF 3 ) was employed to detect changes in fluid parameters such as dynamic viscosity and density during fluid processes. Using this innovative design along with theoretical and experimental results, it is shown that, in fluids, the variations of fluid density and dynamic viscosity are not easily comprehensible due to their interconnectivity. Since any change in a fluid will affect both density and dynamic viscosity, measuring both of them is necessary to identify the fluid or process status. Finally, changes in fluid properties were analyzed using simulation and experiments. The experimental results with salt-DI water solution and milk with different fat concentrations as a colloidal fluid show that kinematic viscosity is a comprehensive parameter that can identify the fluids in a unique way using the proposed microplatform.

Flow force augmented 3D suspended polymeric microfluidic (SPMF3) platform

“…Based on the simulation results, this microsystem is five times more sensitive compared to published results under the same testing conditions, hence the possibility of detecting five times smaller bioparticles . There are several applications possible for 3D suspended polymeric microfluidic systems, such as, (i) sensing of fluid properties like viscosity, kinematic viscosity , density and flow rate (ii) particle counting as in the case of cytometry and (iii) properties of the particles flowing through like size, count and elasticity .…”

“…As seen in this figure, there is a good agreement between simulation and experiment results which verifies the model that is used for SPMF 3 design and development. Furthermore, a comprehensive study of fluid detection with respect to their kinematic viscosity using the SPMF 3 has been performed and published by current authors .…”

A suspended polymeric microfluidic sensor for liquid flow rate measurement in microchannels

“…The force on the cantilever wall acts in the vertical and horizontal directions. Fluid pressure is the source of the vertically applied force, while the horizontal force stems from shear stress 29 . However, cantilever deformation is governed by the Stoney equation indicated below 13 .…”