Micromachines (Nov 2022)

Interface Dynamics and the Influence of Gravity on Droplet Generation in a Y-microchannel

  • Alexandra Bran,
  • Nicoleta Octavia Tanase,
  • Corneliu Balan

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13111941
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 11
p. 1941

Abstract

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The present experimental investigation is focused on the influence of gravity upon water-droplet formation in a Y-microchannel filled with oil. The flows are in the Stokes regime, with very small capillary numbers and Ohnesorge numbers less than one. The study was performed in a square-cross-section channel, with a = 1.0 mm as the characteristic dimension and a flow rate ratio κ in a range between 0.55 and 1.8. The interface dynamics in the vicinity of breakup and the transitory plug flow regime after the detachment of the droplet were analysed. The dependence of droplet length L was correlated with the channel position against the gravity and κ parameters. The results of the work prove that, for κ=1, the droplet length L is independent of channel orientation.

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