Microfluidic prediction methods

The role of mixing has been studied in systems with more complex reaction schemes or considering more complex fluid-dynamical properties, and in the context of chemical engineering or microfluidic applications (for reviews on microfluidics see e.g. Squires (2005) or Ottino and Wiggins (2004)). Muzzio and Liu (1996) studied bi-molecular and so-called competitive-consecutive reactions with multiple timescales in chaotic flows. Reduced models that predict the global behavior of the competitive-consecutive reaction scheme were introduced by Cox (2004) and by Vikhansky and Cox (2006), and a method for statistical description of reactive flows based on a con-... 

In spite of the impressive opportunities, the use of microfluidics for chemical and biological analysis involves considerable challenges as well. The analytes in the fluids of microsystems are exposed to unusual physical conditions, such as high surface tension and high surface-to-volume ratio, which could be the reason why analytical information from the microfluidic systems might be significantly different from that predicted from conventional methods [16-19]. In many cases. 

It is clear that using a T-junction or flow-focusing device, the breakup of the disperse phase by the continuous phase becomes periodic and predictable. The micro- or even NPs produced using microfluidics devices typically present a narrower size distribution than those produced by conventional methods,leading to consistent and regular droplets size, where control can be obtained by altering the flow rates ratio Qr of continuous and disperse phases. 

Jeon et al. [6] reported a microcharmel network method for generating defined concentration gradients in a microfluidic device. Solutions of different concentrations were introduced into the microfluidic device by syringe pumps at separate inlets and repeatedly mixed and split through the microchannel network, producing multiple diluted streams with predictable concentrations. These streams flowed side by side in a common chaimel and generated a soluble or... 

Compared to the vast literature on linear electrophoresis, the study of nonlinear electrokinetic motion is still its early stages. As indicated above, much remains to be done, in both making theoretical predictions and systematically testing them (or discovering new effects) in experiments. Modern mathematical methods and computational power now allow more sophisticated analysis, going beyond linear and weakly nonlinear approximations, as well as large-scale simulations of interacting colloidal particles. Similarly, the advent of microfluidics provides new opportunities to observe and exploit nonlinear electrokinetic phenomena, since polarizable particles can now be fabricated with complicated shapes and material properties and electric fields controlled with submicron precision. 

Since the development and application of atomistic computational methods in recent years, our understanding of gas microfluidics and nanofluidics has been greatly improved. If the flow and thermal behavior can be correctly analyzed and accurately predicted, optimal design of microsystems is possible. Related work can be found in analyses of the performance of microscale air slide bearings in hard disk drives [16], the propulsion efficiency of micronozzles in... 

While it is difficult to predict the future based upon current trends, making products smaller, hghter, faster, more energy efficient, and less expensive will continue. With these trends will be the requirement to channel the heat away from components. One recent development in 2004 was the Perdue University announcement of a patented technique of a self-ventilating method where microfluidic-like layers pump... 

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