The developing flow field in a parallel plate microchannel, induced by wall motion, has been modeled numerically. This type of flow simulates the physical driving mechanism that exists in electro-osmotically generated flow with large channel diameter-to-Debye length ratios (Z). The physics of the flow field were compared between the moving wall model (MWM) and electro-osmotic flow (EOF) at Reynolds numbers of 1 and 1800, and Z > 2500. Also, Z-values between 50 and 500 were studied to investigate the accuracy of the MWM. Results show that for Z-values greater than 100 the MWM shows good agreement with EOF. The dynamics of the developing flow field for the MWM were explored for channel length-to-hydraulic diameter ratios (aspect ratio) of 5, 10, 20 and 40 at ten Reynolds numbers, Re (based on the wall velocity), below Re < 2000. The results show that far from the inlet the maximum fluid velocity occurs at the walls, as is expected, and the minimum velocity occurs at the channel center. Near the channel inlet, however, the centerline velocity is not a minimum but reaches a local maximum due to a resulting pressure imbalance generated by the wall motion. As the aspect ratio increases, the centerline velocity tends to approach the wall velocity far downstream from the inlet. Increases in the Reynolds number have the opposite effect on the centerline velocity. The hydrodynamic developing region, defined by that section of the channel where the wall shear stress is changing, also depends on the channel aspect ratio and Re, and is greater than the developing region for classical pressure-driven flow of a parallel plate channel. Also, the flow field physics was analyzed for a process called electro-mobility focusing (EMF). EMF is a process that separates and detects species of like charge with the use of electro-phoresis and EOF utilizing a varying voltage gradient. The velocity distribution and the effective diffusion were solved for analytically, for both a linear and non-linear voltage gradient, using the MWM and the creeping flow approximations. The resulting equations aid in optimizing the detection system by forcing the lowest effective diffusion (uniform velocity profile) to the detection location.

Dans cette thèse, on a étudié l’évolution de l’interface par électro-osmose entre deux couches de fluides dans un canal microfluidique. Les applications de ce problème concernent le mélange et le transport, sans contact avec des actionneurs, de fluides en micro-canal. De nombreuses questions restent toutefois posées lorsque le champ est oscillant en temps, notamment vis à vis de la stabilité de l'interface entre les deux fluides. Une analyse de stabilité linéaire basée sur une perturbation à l’interface a été réalisée pour un film mince d'électrolyte sous des champs électriques continus (constants) et alternatifs (dépendant du temps). Une analyse asymptotique avec une hypothèse de grande longueur d’onde des équations d'Orr-Sommerfeld a été appliquée afin de déterminer les seuils de stabilité paramétriques d'un film mince aqueux. L’accent a été mis sur les effets de la tension de surface, de la pression de disjonction pour l'interaction gaz-liquide-substrat, de l'amplitude et de la fréquence du champ électrique appliqué, ainsi que du potentiel zêta du substrat et de la surface libre. Une analyse comparative des profils de vitesse de l’état de base avec et sans contraintes de Maxwell à l’interface, a montré que les gradients de vitesse étaient importants à l'interface liquide-liquide avec les contraintes de Maxwell. De tels gradients sont essentiels à l'instabilité interfaciale sous l’action d’un champ électrique périodique car ils peuvent atténuer ou amplifier les ondes à l’interface. Parallèlement, un dispositif expérimental a été conçu et monté afin de caractériser l’écoulement électroosmotique dans un micro-canal rectangulaire. Avec l'aide d'une analyse PTV (« Particle Tracking Velocimetry »), les distributions de vitesse ont été obtenues et comparées aux prédictions théoriques. Cette comparaison a permis d’estimer le potentiel zêta du PDMS utilisé, valeur conforme à la valeur indiquée dans la littérature. / Since the past decade, use of electro-osmotic flow (EOF) as an alternative flow mechanism in microdevices is becoming more popular due to its less bulky and low maintenance system design. However, one of the biggest shortcomings for its usage in mainstream applications is that it requires the concerned liquid to be electrically conductive. One idea can be to use the flow of conductive fluids to transport non-conductive liquids passively via interfacial shear transfer. Such an idea can has numerous applications in a wide range of fields like bio-chemical processing (e.g. lab-on-a-chip reactors, mixers, etc.), to oil extraction from porous rock formations. One of the significant characteristics of micro-scale flows is high surface to volume ratio, which significantly highlights the role of multi-phase interfaces in such dynamics. The presence of a fluid-fluid interface in an EOF necessitates the characterization of the parameters responsible for hydrodynamic instability of such systems. The present work focuses on the role of steady and time-dependent electric stress (Maxwell stress), capillary force and disjoining pressure on fluid-fluid interfacial instability. A linear stability analysis of interfacial perturbation was performed for a thin film of electrolyte under DC and AC electric fields. Through long wave asymptotic analysis of the Orr-Sommerfeld equations, parametric stability thresholds of a thin aqueous film explored. Further, a set of experiments were performed in order to characterize the EOF in a rectangular microchannel. With the help of a Particle Tracking Velocimetry analysis, velocity distributions were obtained which agreed well to the theoretical values. This was further used to estimate PDMS zeta potential, which was found to be within the reported values in the existing literature. Liquid-liquid interfacial deformation was also explored under a time-periodic EOF and a wide range of the magnitudes of capillary force, and diffusive and convective transport.

Varje år i Sverige sker ca 24 000 skallskador på grund av yttre trauma och 30 000 strokeskador. Ett betydande antal får sekundära skador på grund av den ökade vattenhalten kring den skadade hjärnvävnaden. Föreslagen metod är att inducera vattenflöde från skadad till frisk vävnad baserat på teorin om elektroosmotiskt flöde. Teorin bakom elektroosmotiskt flöde är att ett flöde induceras då en spänning läggs över ett medium. Elektroosmotiskt flöde tillämpas i industrin och kallas då electro-osmotic dewatering (EOD). Tekniken används för avvattning av biomaterial, leror, tofu ark samt inom tumörbehandling. I arbetet har utförts flera experiment på hjärnfantomer av agarosgel för att undersöka om metoden kan användas för att leda bort vatten. Första experimentet gjordes för att bevisa att ett flöde induceras vid pålagd spänning över fantom. Andra experimentet undersöker förhållandet mellan flödet, spänningen och strömmen. Resultatet blev linjära förhållanden mellan flödet och spänningen, flödet och strömmen samt mellan spänningen och strömmen. Med litteraturkällor och experimentella resultat härleddes ett samband för att kunna bestämma flödet vid pålagt elektriskt fält. Arbetet avslutades med litteraturstudie i elektrodens material, utformning och placering. Rekommendationerna blev att använda platta elektroder med en strömtäthet under 25 mA/m2. Placeringen optimeras genom förbestämda Finite Element (FE) simuleringar av typskador. / Every year in Sweden there is about 24,000 head injuries due to external trauma and 30,000 strokes. A significant number may develop secondary damage because of the increased water content around the damaged brain tissue. The proposed method is to induce water flow from damaged to healthy tissue based on the theory of electroosmosis. The theory behind the electroosmosis is that a flow is induced when a voltage is applied across a medium. The theory of electroosmosis is applied in industry and called electro-osmotic dewatering (EOD) which is used as a drying technique for the dewatering of bio-materials, clays, tofu sheets and electroosmosis is also applied in clinical treatment of tumors. Several experiments were performed on brain phantoms consisting of agarose gel to examine whether the method can be used to divert water. The first experiment was done prove that a flow can be induced when a voltage is applied over the phantom. The second experiment was to investigate the relationship between the flow rate, voltage and current. The result showed linear correlation between flow rate and voltage, flow rate and current, and between the voltage and current. The literature sources and experimental results were referred to a relationship which is developed to determine the flow induced by electrical field. The work was completed with recommendations in electrode material, design and placement. The recommendations are to use plate electrodes at a current density under 25 mA/m2. Electrode placement is predetermined by Finite Element (FE) simulations of different types of injuries.

Since the past decade, use of electro-osmotic flow (EOF) as an alternative flow mechanism in microdevices is becoming more popular due to its less bulky and low maintenance system design. However, one of the biggest shortcomings for its usage in mainstream applications is that it requires the concerned liquid to be electrically conductive. One idea can be to use the flow of conductive fluids to transport non-conductive liquids passively via interfacial shear transfer. Such an idea can has numerous applications in a wide range of fields like bio-chemical processing (e.g. lab-on-a-chip reactors, mixers, etc.), to oil extraction from porous rock formations. One of the significant characteristics of micro-scale flows is high surface to volume ratio, which significantly highlights the role of multi-phase interfaces in such dynamics. The presence of a fluid-fluid interface in an EOF necessitates the characterization of the parameters responsible for hydrodynamic instability of such systems. The present work focuses on the role of steady and time-dependent electric stress (Maxwell stress), capillary force and disjoining pressure on fluid-fluid interfacial instability. A linear stability analysis of interfacial perturbation was performed for a thin film of electrolyte under DC and AC electric fields. Through long wave asymptotic analysis of the Orr-Sommerfeld equations, parametric stability thresholds of a thin aqueous film explored. Further, a set of experiments were performed in order to characterize the EOF in a rectangular microchannel. With the help of a Particle Tracking Velocimetry analysis, velocity distributions were obtained which agreed well to the theoretical values. This was further used to estimate PDMS zeta potential, which was found to be within the reported values in the existing literature. Liquid-liquid interfacial deformation was also explored under a time-periodic EOF and a wide range of the magnitudes of capillary force, and diffusive and convective transport.