Engineering fluid flow using sequenced microstructures

Thumbnail Image
Date
2013-05-01
Authors
Amini, Hamed
Sollier, Elodie
Masaeli, Mahdokht
Xie, Yu
Stone, Howard
Di Carlo, Dino
Major Professor
Advisor
Committee Member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract

Controlling the shape of fluid streams is important across scales: from industrial processing to control of biomolecular interactions. Previous approaches to control fluid streams have focused mainly on creating chaotic flows to enhance mixing. Here we develop an approach to apply order using sequences of fluid transformations rather than enhancing chaos. We investigate the inertial flow deformations around a library of single cylindrical pillars within a microfluidic channel and assemble these net fluid transformations to engineer fluid streams. As these transformations provide a deterministic mapping of fluid elements from upstream to downstream of a pillar, we can sequentially arrange pillars to apply the associated nested maps and, therefore, create complex fluid structures without additional numerical simulation. To show the range of capabilities, we present sequences that sculpt the cross-sectional shape of a stream into complex geometries, move and split a fluid stream, perform solution exchange and achieve particle separation. A general strategy to engineer fluid streams into a broad class of defined configurations in which the complexity of the nonlinear equations of fluid motion are abstracted from the user is a first step to programming streams of any desired shape, which would be useful for biological, chemical and materials automation.

Series Number
Journal Issue
Is Version Of
Versions
Series
Type
article
Comments

This article is published as Amini, Hamed, Elodie Sollier, Mahdokht Masaeli, Yu Xie, Baskar Ganapathysubramanian, Howard A. Stone, and Dino Di Carlo. "Engineering fluid flow using sequenced microstructures." Nature Communications 4 (2013): 1826. DOI:10.1038/ncomms2841. Posted with permission.

Rights Statement
Copyright
Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 UTC 2013
Funding
DOI
Supplemental Resources
Collections