Microfluidics is a rapidly emerging industry with a strong potential to disrupt multiple industries. We use Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to model microfluidic devices for a wide range of properties in order to discover and fix design issues and deliver design validation and optimization.
Mirofluidics is a rapidly growing industry with the following applications
- Biological/chemical agent detection
- Drug discovery
- Point-of-care diagnostics
- DNA sequencing
- Drug delivery
- Lab on a chip
- Diagnostic equipment
- Micro-reactors
- Inkjet printing
- Fuel cells
Through the use of FEA and CFD, we can model and optimize the following
- Transport of fluids, species and cells
- Droplet creation and breakup
- Mixing and dispersion
- Reactions
- Device channel density
We work with academic labs, startups, and corporations to develop and optimize a device’s fluid and structural design so that they can focus on the device’s chemistry, and market strategy.
Capillary Action Flow
Capillary action occurs because of the intermolecular forces between a liquid and the surrounding solid surfaces. When a channel is sufficiently narrow, such as in microfluidics and many medical devices, the combination of surface tension and adhesive forces between the liquid and solid surfaces act to drive flow. Capillary action gives a major advantage in devices by driving flow without the need for external forces like gravity or external pressure allowing them to function without external energy.
ANSYS fluent allows our experienced engineers to analyze devices for capillary action flow. Once we have the surface and fluid properties we can generate a computer model that allows for optimizing geometric properties or test the flow difference for varying wetting angles.
Pressure Driven Flow
In many cases only relying on capillary action to drive flow is not an adequate solution and a device requires external pressure. We use ANSYS fluent to analyze micro pumps and pressure driven flow in combination with capillary action.
Hydrophobic vs Hydrophilic Surfaces
Using ANSYS fluent we are also able to model the difference in flow between hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces.
Other Engineering Services
Learn more about our wide range of engineering services that can help make your project a success!
Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist with your microfluidic device design!