Analysis of the mixing characteristics of a T-shaped collision type micromixer via computational fluid dynamics approach

Abstract

Fluid mixing at microscale is an important process in most microfluidic devices. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to investigate and analyze the mixing properties of a T-shaped collision-type micromixer, a potential concept for producing quick and effective mixing in microscale systems was studied. The micromixer allows the fluid flow to be unevenly separated and recombined in collisions chambers made up of shifted trapezoids. By changing the Reynolds number, inlet flow rate, and fluidic properties of the samples, the flow characteristics and mixing efficiency of the micromixer were analyzed. The mixing efficiency was found to be dependent on the Reynolds number as different mixing conditions occur at different regimes. The micromixer was observed to have a stable mixing efficiency of a minimum of 82% for all samples. The obtained results will be helpful in optimizing micromixers for various applications.