Submitted by JOSIANE SANTOS DE OLIVEIRA (josianeso) on 2017-10-26T11:44:55Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Édson Flores_.pdf: 3781858 bytes, checksum: ecc6bea71a85c8419f9ea9400766fdf3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-26T11:44:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Édson Flores_.pdf: 3781858 bytes, checksum: ecc6bea71a85c8419f9ea9400766fdf3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-05-12 / CNPQ – Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Este trabalho tem como objetivo a modelagem de diferentes dissipadores de calor com resfriamento líquido em microcanais. A proposta é a utilização de softwares de dinâmica de fluidos para analisar o desempenho térmico em diferentes geometrias construtivas de microcanais. O software utilizado para a realização das simulações CFD foi o Ansys Fluent R . O trabalho aborda as etapas prévias necessárias para simulação CFD, destacando a etapa de geração de malha para as simulações, envolvendo o estudo de convergência de malha, os critérios de aceitação da simulação e as técnicas de refino na interface líquido-sólido, procedimento necessário para modelagem correta da física de transferência de calor. Foram estudadas geometrias de microcanais de seção retangular em paralelo, microcanais de estrutura pinada e microcanais em rede de fractal do tipo H. Este trabalho também apresenta o modelamento de um estudo de caso em que os microcanais em paralelo são formados pelas paredes de material adesivo fixado em um bloco de alumínio. Os resultados obtidos servem para auxílio em uma etapa de construção de um protótipo experimental. No estudo dos microcanais de seção retangular em paralelo e de microcanais de estrutura pinada, variou-se os aspectos dimensionais buscando a melhor resposta de desempenho térmico, sendo isso expresso em termos de resistência térmica. A simulação de microcanais em rede de fractal H foram realizadas para uma comparação qualitativa referente as demais geometrias estudadas. Um problema discutido no decorrer deste trabalho foi a necessidade de mudança do modelo de viscosidade laminar para um modelo de viscosidade turbulenta, apesar das velocidades do fluido no interior dos microcanais serem baixas e expressarem um número de Reynolds baixo. As técnicas de remoção de calor em microcanais podem colaborar de forma decisiva no gerenciamento térmico de um projeto, na menor energia empregada para o resfriamento e na diminuição das dimensões de um produto final. As geometrias estudadas podem ser construídas em uma camada metálica de uma placa de circuito impresso do tipo metal core, como também estarem presentes em uma estrutura de silício de um chip. O domínio das técnicas de modelagem térmica com softwares simuladores de dinâmicas de fluidos apresentados neste trabalho podem auxiliar na busca de soluções para a remoção de calor em micro-escala, reduzir a necessidade de produção de protótipos, e por consequência, diminuir custos. / This work has the objective of modeling different heat sinks with liquid cooling in microchannels. The proposal is the use of fluid dynamics software to analyze the thermal performance in different constructional geometries of microchannels. The software used to perform the CFD simulations was Ansys Fluent R . This work addresses the previous steps required for CFD simulation, highlighting the step of mesh generation for the simulations, involving mesh convergence study, simulation acceptance criteria and refining techniques at the liquid-solid interface, a procedure necessary for Modeling of heat transfer physics. The geometries studied were of rectangular section microchannels in parallel, microchannels of pinched structure and microchannels in fractal network of type H. A case study was also modeled in this work in which parallel microchannels were formed by walls of adhesive material In an aluminum block, in which the results obtained serve to aid in a stage of construction of an experimental prototype. In the study of the microchannels of rectangular section in parallel and microchannels of pinned structure, we varied the dimensional aspects seeking the best response of thermal performance, being expressed in terms of thermal resistance. The simulation of microchannels in fractal network H was performed for a qualitative comparison referring to the other geometries studied. A problem discussed in the course of this work was the need to change the laminar viscosity model to a turbulent viscosity model despite the velocity of the fluid inside the microchannels being low and expressing a low Reynolds number. Techniques for heat removal in microchannels can contribute decisively to the thermal management of a project, the lower energy used for cooling and the reduction of the dimensions of an end product. The geometries studied can be constructed in a metal layer of a metal core type printed circuit board, as well as being present in a one-chip silicon structure. The domain of thermal modeling techniques with fluid dynamics simulators presented in this paper can help in the search for technological solutions for micro-scale heat removal, reduce the need for prototype production, and consequently reduce costs.

Submitted by JOSIANE SANTOS DE OLIVEIRA (josianeso) on 2018-09-24T18:18:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Lucas Ezequias da Silva Silveira_.pdf: 2681603 bytes, checksum: bdf77c94ace5cc8dc7bd13716275dc35 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-24T18:18:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lucas Ezequias da Silva Silveira_.pdf: 2681603 bytes, checksum: bdf77c94ace5cc8dc7bd13716275dc35 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-05-11 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A utilização de trocadores de calor com canais de diâmetro reduzido vem crescendo devido à demanda por trocadores de calor compactos, que permitam altas taxas de transferência de calor, baixa perda de pressão e redução da carga de fluido refrigerante e de custo de materiais. O presente trabalho analisa a ebulição convectiva através de canais de pequeno diâmetro e a influência de alguns parâmetros operacionais no coeficiente de transferência de calor e na queda de pressão. São apresentados os resultados de três estudos experimentais para avaliar a influência do fluido de trabalho, do diâmetro do canal e da temperatura de saturação. Na primeira análise, é estudada a ebulição do isobutano, R600a, e do propano, R290, em um canal com 1,0 mm de diâmetro interno, com fluxo de massa na faixa de 240 a 480 kg m-2 s-1, fluxo de calor de 5 a 60 kW m-2 e temperatura de saturação de 25°C. Na segunda análise, é estudada a ebulição do R600a em canais com diâmetros de 1,0 e 2,6 mm, temperatura de saturação de 22°C, com variações do fluxo de massa de 188 a 377 kg m-2s-1 e do fluxo de calor de 28 a 56 kW m-2. Por fim, na terceira análise, a ebulição do R600a em um canal de 1,0 mm de diâmetro foi estudada com duas temperaturas de saturação, 20 e 30°C, com fluxo de massa de 240 a 480 kg m-2 s-1 e fluxo de calor de 20 a 60 kW m-2. São avaliados os efeitos do fluxo de massa, do fluxo de calor e do título de vapor, sobre o comportamento do coeficiente de transferência de calor e da perda de pressão por atrito. A análise do fluido de trabalho mostrou que, de modo geral, o R600a apresenta os maiores coeficientes de transferência de calor e perdas de pressão por atrito. Da análise da influência do diâmetro do canal observou-se que, para todas as condições experimentais, o coeficiente de transferência de calor foi superior no canal de 1,0 mm. Os resultados mostraram também que os maiores coeficientes de transferência de calor foram obtidos com a temperatura de saturação de 30°C. Complementando as análises, foram avaliados os padrões de escoamento, através das imagens registradas, e os modelos de mapas de padrões comparando os dois fluidos. Os modelos que melhor se ajustaram às curvas foram os de Revellin e Thome (2007b) e Ong e Thome (2011). Algumas correlações para transferência de calor propostas para mini e micro canais foram avaliadas com dados experimentais, de onde observou-se que, de modo geral, a correlação de Kim e Mudawar (2013b) apresentou o melhor ajuste, dentre as correlações avaliadas. / The use of heat exchangers with reduced diameter channels has been growing due to the demand for compact heat exchangers which allow high rates of heat transfer, low pressure drop and reduction of refrigerant fluid charge and material cost. The present work analyzes the convective boiling through small diameter channels and the influence of some parameters on the heat transfer coefficient and the pressure drop. The results of three experimental studies are presented to evaluate the influence of the working fluid, the channel diameter and the saturation temperature. In the first analysis, the boiling of isobutane, R600a, and propane, R290, in a channel with a 1 mm internal diameter, with mass velocity from 240 to 480 kg m-2 s-1, heat flux from 5 to 60 kW m-2 and saturation temperature of 25°C. In the second analysis, it’s studied the boiling of R600a in channels with diameters of 1.0 and 2.6 mm, saturation temperature of 22°C, with mass velocity from 188 to 377 kg m-2 s-1 and heat flux from 28 to 56 kW m-2. Finally, the boiling of R600a in a 1.0 mm diameter channel was studied with two saturation temperatures, 20 and 30°C, with a mass velocity from 240 to 480 kg m-2 s-1 and heat flux from 20 to 60 kW m-2. The influence of mass flow, heat flux and vapor quality on the behavior of the heat transfer coefficient and the frictional pressure drop are evaluated. The analysis of the working fluid showed that, in general, R600a presents the highest coefficients of heat transfer and frictional pressure drop. From the analysis of the influence of the channel diameter, it was observed that, for all experimental conditions, the heat transfer coefficient was higher in the 1.0 mm channel. The results also showed that the higher heat transfer coefficients were obtained with the saturation temperature of 30°C. Complementing the analyzes, the flow patterns were evaluated through the recorded images, and the flow pattern maps, comparing the two fluids. The map that best fit the curves were those of Revellin and Thome (2007b) and Ong and Thome (2011). Some proposed heat transfer correlations for mini and micro channels were evaluated with the experimental data, from which it was observed that, in general, the correlation of Kim and Mudawar (2013b) presented a better adjustment, among the evaluated correlations.

Submitted by William Justo Figueiro (williamjf) on 2015-07-08T23:40:19Z No. of bitstreams: 1 19b.pdf: 2923099 bytes, checksum: f04244aa991c1a65ebc9273c29c4aa38 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-08T23:40:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 19b.pdf: 2923099 bytes, checksum: f04244aa991c1a65ebc9273c29c4aa38 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-11 / Nenhuma / Nas últimas décadas, a miniaturização de dispositivos de natureza eletroeletrônica em diversas áreas de aplicação, como biomédica, química e de tecnologia de computadores, tem proporcionado alta eficiência de espaço em equipamentos. Paralelamente, essa redução em espaço físico é contrabalançada pelo alto desempenho exigido com relação aos sistemas de refrigeração nestes equipamentos. Por isso, o controle térmico é uma das áreas mais críticas para o desenvolvimento da microeletrônica moderna. Diversos estudos experimentais e numéricos foram realizados por vários pesquisadores, nas últimas décadas, com vistas a investigar a hidrodinâmica e a transferência de calor em microescala. Porém, os resultados obtidos revelam divergências entre si. Em geral, estas podem ser visualizadas pela análise dos números de Poiseuille e de Nusselt, quando estes são comparados aos resultados previstos pela teoria convencional. Normalmente, as divergências relatadas com relação a medições em microescala estão associadas a fatores geométricos do microcanal, como a sua razão de aspecto, o seu diâmetro hidráulico e condições superficiais de rugosidade. Alguns desvios encontrados com relação ao fator de fricção foram atribuídos às variações da seção transversal dos microcanais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar numericamente como as características hidrodinâmicas e de transferência de calor podem ser influenciadas com relação a variações na seção transversal dos microcanais. Os resultados obtidos para o escoamento laminar monofásico de água em microcanais com deformidades na seção transversal foram comparados aos obtidos para microcanais geometricamente perfeitos, por meio dos números de Poiseuille e de Nusselt local. Desvios para os números de Poiseuille e de Nusselt local, por meio de imperfeições e variações da seção transversal dos microcanais, foram verificados. Alguns desvios para o número de Poiseuille se mostraram dependentes do número de Reynolds. No entanto, alguns resultados obtidos para o número de Nusselt local mostraram que o mesmo é mais sensível à forma da seção transversal do microcanal do que o número de Poiseuille. Esses resultados foram determinados através das equações de conservação da massa, Navier-Stokes e energia, por dinâmica dos fluidos computacional (CFD). / In recent years, the reduction of electronic devices in several application fields, such as biomedicine, chemistry and computer technology has been providing high efficiency related to the space in equipment. At the same time, this reduction in physical space is counterweighted by the high performance required at the refrigeration systems in such equipment. Therefore, the thermal control is one of the most critical areas for the development of modern microelectronic devices. A lot of experimental and numerical studies have been done by several researchers, in the last decades, seeking to investigate the hydrodynamic and heat transfer in microscale. However, the results show divergences among them. In general, these related diversions can be viewed through the Poiseuille and Nusselt numbers, when compared to the predicted results through conventional theory. Usually, the reported divergences related to the measurements in microscale are associated to the microchannel geometric factors, such as channel aspect ratio, channel hydraulic diameter and surface roughness. Some deviations related to the friction factor were attributed to cross-section variations of the microchannels. The aim of this work was verify numerically how the hydrodynamic and heat transfer characteristics can be influenced by cross-section variations of the microchannels. The results obtained for the single-phase laminar flow of water in microchannels with deformities at the cross-section were compared to the perfect ones, through Poiseuille and local Nusselt numbers. Deviations at Poiseuille and local Nusselt numbers, through imperfections and variations of the cross-section of microchannels, were verified. Some deviations at Poiseuille number were dependent on Reynolds number. However, some results obtained for the local Nusselt number showed that it is more sensitive to the shape of the cross-section of the microchannel than Poiseuille number. Such results were obtained through mass conservation, Navier-Stokes and energy equations, by computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

Em linhas gerais, esta dissertação de mestrado envolve o estudo de padrões de escoaomento durante a ebulição convectiva em microcanais. Resultados experimentais foram levantados para um tubo com diâmetro de 2,32 mm durante a evaporação convectiva dos refrigerantes R134a e R245fa. Para a investigação, técnicas experimentais e de análise foram desenvolvidas. A caracterização dos padrões de escoamento envolveu o tratamento simultâneo de sinais provenientes dos seguintes dispositivos: um par diodo/sensor-laser tendo um tubo transparente entre eles no interior do qual ocorre o escoamento bifásico; um transdutor de pressão piezo-elétrico de tamanho reduzido com o objetivo de determinar a variação local da pressão do escoamento; e de um micro-termopar em contato com o fluido refrigerante. A técnica de tratamento de dados utilizada envolve a aglomeração progressiva de dados que apresentem características médias similares através do algoritmo k-means. Os sinais de pressão, intensidade de radiação e temperatura foram adquiridos simultaneamente a uma freqüência de 25 kHz. Imagens simultâneas do escoamento bifásico a uma velocidade de captura em torno de 10.000 imagens/s foram levantadas através de uma câmera de filmagem rápida (até 100.000 imagens/s), e os padrões de escoamentos observados contrastados aos resultados fornecidos pelo método proposto. Baseado nesta análise, mapas de escoamento foram propostos, os quais incorporaram não apenas critérios subjetivos como a visualização, mas também objetivos como as variações transientes da pressão local do escoamento e da morfologia do escoamento através do seu efeito na dispersão da radiação emitida pelo foto-diodo. Os resultados previstos pelo método objetivo apresentam concordância razoável com os dados caracterizados com base em visualizações. Adicionalmente, características de bolhas alongadas foram determinadas. / The present research has been focused on the study of flow patterns inside channels of diameter less than 3 mm during the convective evaporation of refrigerants such as R134a and R245fa. For the investigation of such topics, experimental techniques and methods of analysis of results were developed. A broad database was gathered in an experimental test facility. The characterization of flow patterns involved the simultaneous processing of signals from the following devices: a pair diode / laser-sensor having a transparent tube between them, within which occurs the two-phase flow; a micro piezoelectric pressure transducer to determine the local variation of pressure of the flow and a micro-thermocouple fixed within the fluid. The technique used in data processing involves the gradual agglomeration of data having similar average characteristics; this method was developed based on the k-means clustering algorithm. The signals from the transducers were acquired simultaneously at a frequency of 25 kHz. The program for the acquisition and for processing of the signals was developed using LabView. Simultaneous images of two-phase flow at a speed of capture around 10,000 images / s were obtained through a high speed camera and the observed flow patterns were contrasted to the results provided by the objective method. Based on this analysis, flow maps were proposed, which incorporate not only subjective criteria such as visualization, but also objective criteria like the transient variations of local pressure of the flow, temperature of the fluid and the effect of the flow morphology based on the dispersion of light which effect was captured by the photo-diode. The maps obtained by the objective method were compared against flow pattern segregated based on visualization and a reasonable agreement was obtained. Besides the elongated bubble characteristics were determined.

Fuel cells are predicted to be the power delivery devices of the future. They have many advantages such as the wide fuel selection, high energy density, high efficiency and an inherent safety which explains the immense interest in this power source. The need for advanced designs has been limited by the lack of understanding of the transport processes inside the fuel cell stack. The reactant gases undergo many processes in a fuel cell that cannot be observed. Some of these processes include convective and diffusional mass transport through various types of materials, phase change and chemical reaction. In order to optimize these variables, an accurate mathematical model can provide a valuable tool to gain insight into the processes that are occurring. The goal of this dissertation is to develop a mathematical model for polymer electrolyte-based fuel cells to help contribute to a better understanding of fuel cell mass, heat and charge transport phenomena, to ultimately design more efficient fuel cells. The model is a two-phase, transient mathematical model created with MATLAB. The model was created by using each fuel cell layer as a control volume. In addition, each fuel cell layer was further divided into the number of nodes that the user inputs into the model. Transient heat and mass transfer equations were created for each node. The catalyst layers were modeled using porous electrode equations and the Butler-Volmer equation. The membrane model used Fick's law of diffusion and a set of empirical relations for water uptake and conductivity. Additional work performed for this dissertation includes a mathematical model for predicting bolt torque, and the design and fabrication of four fuel cell stacks ranging in size from macro to micro scale for model validation. The work performed in this dissertation will help improve the designs of polymer electrolyte fuel cells, and other polymer membrane-based fuel cells (such as direct methanol fuel cells) in the future.

Individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have superior thermal conductivity than conventional materials. The applications for CNTs range from heat sinks, thin films to thermal interface materials. However, when CNTs are grouped together in macroscopic quantities and embedded in different media their thermal conductivity changes. Therefore, it is important to determine the thermal conductance changes when CNTs are embedded in different media. In my research, CNTs were embedded in thin films and as aligned structures (fins) in water. Analytical and experimental methods were used to determine the thermal conductances of these aligned structures and thin films. The primary goals of this research were to develop novel analytical methods to determine thermal conductivity and also experimental techniques to determine effectiveness of the embedded CNTs as carriers of heat by thermal conductance evaluation. It is observed that CNTs fins are effective carriers of heat and result in up to 57% decrease in thermal resistance. In the case of CNTs embedded in thin films, it is important to consider non Fourier effects and neglecting non Fourier effects would lead to an underestimation of the thermal conductivity. In addition to the thermal conductivity value, the analysis also provides a way to determine the thermal relaxation time of thin films.

Flow mechanisms affect transport processes during condensation. Most studies on two-phase flow regimes are qualitative in nature, typically providing only information to guide the identification of the respective regimes and the transitions between them. These studies have, however, not yielded quantitative information to assist the development of pressure drop and heat transfer models. Such qualitative studies have also yielded results with considerable variability between investigators. A comprehensive investigation of flow mechanisms, void fraction, pressure drop and heat transfer during condensation of R404A in microchannels was conducted. In contrast to all prior investigations, high-speed video recordings and image analyses were used to directly measure void fraction, slug frequencies, vapor bubble velocity, vapor bubble dimensions and liquid film thicknesses in tube diameters ranging from 0.508 to 3.00 mm. Experiments were conducted at reduced pressures and mass fluxes ranging from 0.38 to 0.77 and 200 to 800 kg m-2 s-1, respectively, to document their influences on the condensation process at local vapor qualities ranging from 0 to 1. This information was used to develop a model for the void fraction in condensing flows. A complementing set of heat transfer and pressure drop measurements were conducted on the same geometries at similar conditions, and the void fraction model was used in conjunction with these measurements to develop improved heat transfer and pressure drop models. This comprehensive set of experiments and analyses yields a self-consistent and accurate treatment of high-pressure condensation in small hydraulic diameter geometries. Furthermore, the heat transfer model was found to agree well with condensing ammonia and carbon dioxide data that were obtained at significantly different conditions in different tube diameters. The added physical understanding of the condensation process and the models developed will serve as important building blocks for the design of microscale condensers and thermal systems.

Electroosmotic flow is widely used as a solution pumping method in numerous microfluidic applications. This type of flow has several advantages over other pumping techniques, such as the fast response time, the ease of control and integration in different microchannel designs. The flow utilizes the scaling of channel dimensions, which enhances the effects of the electrostatic forces to create flow in microchannels under an electrical body force. However, the electrostatic properties of the solution/wall material pairings are unique and must be experimentally measured. As a consequence, accurate knowledge about the electrostatic properties of the solution and wall material pairings is important for the optimal design of microfluidic devices using electroosmotic flow. Moreover, the introduction of new solutions and new channel materials for different applications is common in the microfluidics area. Therefore, any improvement on the experimental techniques used to examine the electrostatic properties of microchannels is beneficial to the research community. In this work, an improvement to the current-monitoring technique for studying the electrokinetic properties of microchannels is achieved by replacing the conventional straight channel design with a new Y-channel design. The errors from both the undesired pressure driven flow and solution electrolysis were addressed and significantly reduced. The new design offers high accuracy in finding the electrokinetic properties of microchannels. The experimental outcome from the new channel design is better compared to the outcomes of the straight channel, which helps in distinguishing the important electroosmotic pumping regions from the current-time plot. Moreover the time effectiveness in performing the experiments with the new channel design is better compared to that for the straight channel design. A modified analysis approach is also presented and validated for finding the electrokinetic properties from the outcomes of the current-monitoring technique, which is called the current-slope method. This approach is validated by comparing its findings with the results of the conventional length method. It was found for most situations that the discrepancy between the two methods, the current-slope and total length method, are within the uncertainty of the experimental measurements, thus validating the new analysis approach. In situations where it is hard to distinguish the start and end of solution replacement from the current-time plot of the current-monitoring technique, the current-slope method is advised. With the new design, different parametric studies of electroosmotic flow in PDMS based microchannels are estimated. At first the zeta potential of biological buffers are studied. Moreover the effect of continuous electroosmotic pumping, the chip substrate structure, and temperature on the average zeta potential of microchannels are examined. It was found that for air plasma treated PDMS microchannels the chip substrate material does not have an effect on the average zeta potential of the microchannels. The following chemical treatments are attempted with the aim of improving the surface and electrostatic properties of PDMS based microchannels: prepolymer additive with acrylic acid, extraction of PDMS, and both heat and plasma induced HEMA (Hydroxyethyl methacrylate) grafting on the surface of PDMS. Extensive characterization is performed with different experimental methods. The stability of the artificial hydrophilic properties of the PDMS microchannels with time was improved with both the extraction and HEMA grafting techniques. On the other hand, there was no evidence of any improvement in the zeta potential of microchannels with the surface treatments.

Electroosmotic flow is widely used as a solution pumping method in numerous microfluidic applications. This type of flow has several advantages over other pumping techniques, such as the fast response time, the ease of control and integration in different microchannel designs. The flow utilizes the scaling of channel dimensions, which enhances the effects of the electrostatic forces to create flow in microchannels under an electrical body force. However, the electrostatic properties of the solution/wall material pairings are unique and must be experimentally measured. As a consequence, accurate knowledge about the electrostatic properties of the solution and wall material pairings is important for the optimal design of microfluidic devices using electroosmotic flow. Moreover, the introduction of new solutions and new channel materials for different applications is common in the microfluidics area. Therefore, any improvement on the experimental techniques used to examine the electrostatic properties of microchannels is beneficial to the research community. In this work, an improvement to the current-monitoring technique for studying the electrokinetic properties of microchannels is achieved by replacing the conventional straight channel design with a new Y-channel design. The errors from both the undesired pressure driven flow and solution electrolysis were addressed and significantly reduced. The new design offers high accuracy in finding the electrokinetic properties of microchannels. The experimental outcome from the new channel design is better compared to the outcomes of the straight channel, which helps in distinguishing the important electroosmotic pumping regions from the current-time plot. Moreover the time effectiveness in performing the experiments with the new channel design is better compared to that for the straight channel design. A modified analysis approach is also presented and validated for finding the electrokinetic properties from the outcomes of the current-monitoring technique, which is called the current-slope method. This approach is validated by comparing its findings with the results of the conventional length method. It was found for most situations that the discrepancy between the two methods, the current-slope and total length method, are within the uncertainty of the experimental measurements, thus validating the new analysis approach. In situations where it is hard to distinguish the start and end of solution replacement from the current-time plot of the current-monitoring technique, the current-slope method is advised. With the new design, different parametric studies of electroosmotic flow in PDMS based microchannels are estimated. At first the zeta potential of biological buffers are studied. Moreover the effect of continuous electroosmotic pumping, the chip substrate structure, and temperature on the average zeta potential of microchannels are examined. It was found that for air plasma treated PDMS microchannels the chip substrate material does not have an effect on the average zeta potential of the microchannels. The following chemical treatments are attempted with the aim of improving the surface and electrostatic properties of PDMS based microchannels: prepolymer additive with acrylic acid, extraction of PDMS, and both heat and plasma induced HEMA (Hydroxyethyl methacrylate) grafting on the surface of PDMS. Extensive characterization is performed with different experimental methods. The stability of the artificial hydrophilic properties of the PDMS microchannels with time was improved with both the extraction and HEMA grafting techniques. On the other hand, there was no evidence of any improvement in the zeta potential of microchannels with the surface treatments.

This research is directed towards developing a more sensitive and rapid electrochemical sensor for enzyme labeled immunoassays by coupling redox cycling at interdigitated electrode arrays (IDA) with the enzyme label b-galactosidase. Coplanar and comb IDA electrodes with a 2.4 mm gap were fabricated and their redox cycling currents were measured. ANSYS was used to model steady state currents for electrodes with different geometries. Comb IDA electrodes enhanced the signal about 3 times more than the coplanar IDAs, which agreed with the results of the simulation. Magnetic microbead-based enzyme assay, as a typical example of biochemical detection, was done using the comb and coplanar IDAs. The enzymes could be placed close to the sensing electrodes (~10 mm for the comb IDAs) and detection took less than 1 min with a limit of detection of 70 amole of b-galactosidase. We conclude that faster and more sensitive assays can be achieved with the comb IDA. A paramagnetic bead assay has also been demonstrated for detection of bacteriophage MS2, used as a simulant for biothreat viruses, such as small pox. The immunoassay was carried out in a microfluidic format with the IDA, reference and counter electrodes integrated on the same chip. Detection of 90 ng/mL MS2 or 1.5x1010 MS2 particles/mL was demonstrated.