Control of Dielectric Fluid Flow Distribution in Micro-Tubes With EHD Conduction Pumping: Numerical Study

The control of fluid flow distribution in micro-scale tubes is numerically investigated. The flow distribution control is achieved via electric conduction mechanism. In electrohydrodynamic (EHD) conduction pumping, when an electric field is applied to a fluid, dissociation and recombination of electrolytic species produces heterocharge layers in the vicinity of electrodes. Attraction between electrodes and heterocharge layers induces a fluid motion and a net flow is generated if the electrodes are asymmetric. The numerical domain comprises a 2-D manifold attached to two bifurcated tubes with one of the tubes equipped with a bank of uniquely designed EHD-conduction electrodes. In the absence of electric field, the total flow supplied at the manifold’s inlet is equally distributed among the tubes. The EHD-conduction, however, operates as a mechanism to manipulate the flow distribution to allow the flow through one branch surpasses the counterpart of the other branch. Its performance is evaluated under various operating conditions.