Computational investigation of flow field, mixing and reaction in a T-shaped microchannel

Abstract

Microfluidics plays an essential role in process intensification, carrying out reactions safely and enhancing mass and heat transfer coefficients. In this work, hydrodynamics, mixing and reaction in the microchannel are investigated numerically and experimentally. To predict the flow field, three dimensional transient CFD simulations are performed. The irreversibility induced by the flow is used to quantify the liquid circulation. To improve the flow field, the geometry of the microchannel is modified by placing obstacles. It is found that geometric modifications have a significant effect on the hydrodynamics and hence mixing and reaction. The axial and lateral mixing are analyzed for various obstacles using Residence Time Distribution (RTD). The mixing index is calculated to characterize lateral mixing and to find an optimum configuration that supports flow field and mixing. Further, the implications of these obstacles on a fast neutralization reaction in the microchannel are studied.

Keywords:

• Axial and lateral
• CFD
• fast neutralization reaction
• liquid circulation
• microchannel
• RTD