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At least 109 records · Page 6

Method for using magnetic particles in droplet microfluidics

Methods of utilizing magnetic particles or beads (MBs) in droplet-based (or digital) microfluidics are disclosed. The methods may be used in enrichment or separation processes. A first method employs the droplet meniscus to assist in the magnetic collection and positioning of MBs during droplet microfluidic operations. The sweeping movement of the meniscus lifts the MBs off the solid surface and frees them from various surface forces acting on the MBs. A second method uses chemical additives to reduce the adhesion of MBs to surfaces. Both methods allow the MBs on a solid surface to be effectively moved by magnetic force. Droplets may be driven by various methods or techniques including, for example, electrowetting, electrostatic, electromechanical, electrophoretic, dielectrophoretic, electroosmotic, thermocapillary, surface acoustic, and pressure.

Shah, Gaurav Jitendra↗

Turbulent boundary layer over solid and porous surfaces with small roughness

Skin friction and profiles of mean velocity, axial and normal turbulence intensity, and Reynolds stress in the untripped boundary layer were measured directly on a large diameter, axisymmetric body with: (1) a smooth, solid surface; (2) a sandpaper-roughened, solid surface; (3) a sintered metal, porous surface; (4) a smooth, perforated titanium surface; (5) a rough solid surface made of fine, diffusion bonded screening, and (6) a rough, porous surface of the same screening. Results obtained for each of these surfaces are discussed. It is shown that a rough, porous wall simply does not influence the boundary layer in the same way as a rough solid wall. Therefore, turbulent transport models for boundary layers over porous surfaces either with or without injection or suction, must include both surface roughness and porosity effects.

Kong, F. Y.↗

Tribological properties of surfaces

The real area of contact between two solid surfaces is only a small portion of the apparent area. Deformation of these areas can result in solid state contact through surface films. For clean solid to solid contact strong adhesive bonding occurs across the interface. Under these conditions many properties of the solid such as the metallurgical and chemical nature of metals can influence adhesion, friction, and wear behavior. The presence of gases, liquids, and solid films on the surface of solids alter markedly tribological characteristics. These surface films can also considerably change the mechanical effects of solid state contact on bulk material behavior.

Buckley, D. H.↗

Tribological properties of surfaces

The real area of contact between two solid surfaces is only a small portion of the apparent area. Deformation of these areas can result in solid state contact through surface films. For clean solid to solid contact strong adhesive bonding occurs across the interface. Under these conditions many properties of the solid such as the metallurgical and chemical nature of metals can influence adhesion, friction, and wear behavior. The presence of gases, liquids, and solid films on the surface of solids alter markedly tribological characteristics. These surface films can also considerably change the mechanical effects of solid state contact on bulk material behavior.

Buckley, D. H.↗

Turbulent boundary layer over solid and porous surfaces with small roughness

The wind tunnel models and instrumentation used as well as data reduction and error analysis techniques employed are described for an experimental study conducted to measure directly skin friction and obtain profiles of mean velocity, axial and normal turbulence intensity, and Reynolds stress in the untripped boundary on a large diameter axisymmetric body. Results are given for such a body with a (1) smooth, solid surface; (2) a sandpaper roughened, solid surface; (3) a sintered metal, porous surface; (4) a ""smooth'' performated titanium surface; (5) a rough, solid surface made of fine diffusion bonded screening; and (6) a rough, porous surface made of the same screening. The roughness values were in low range (k+ 5 to 7) just above what is normally considered ""hydraulically smooth''. Measurements were taken at several axial locations and tow or normal stream freestream velocities, 45.1 m/sec and 53.5 m/sec.

Kong, F. Y.↗

Determination of the Contact Angle Based on the Casimir Effect

In several crystal growth processed based on capillarity, a melt comes into contact with a crucible wall at an angle defined as the contact angle. For molten metals and semiconductors, this contact angle is dependent upon both the crucible and melt material and typical values fall in the range 80-170deg. However, on a microscopic scale, there does not exist a precise and sharp contact angle but rather the melt and solid surfaces merge smoothly and continuously over a distance of up to several micrometers. Accurate modeling requires a more advanced treatment of this interaction. The interaction between the melt and solid surfaces can be calculated by considering two forces: a short-range repulsive force and a longer range (up to a few micrometers) Casimir force. The Casimir force between the two bodies of complex geometry is calculated using a retarded temperature Green's function (Matsubara type) for the photon in the medium. The governing equations are cast in the form of a set of boundary integral equations which are then solved numerically for the case of molten Ge on SiO2. The shape of the molten surface approaching the flat solid body is determined, and the contact angle is defined as the angle between the two surfaces at the microscopically asymptotic distance of 1-2 micrometers. The formulation of this model and the results of the numerical calculations will be presented and discussed.

Mazuruk, K.↗

The role of material properties in adhesion

When two solid surfaces are brought into contact strong adhesive bond forces can develop between the materials. The magnitude of the forces will depend upon the state of the surfaces, cleanliness and the fundamental properties of the two solids, both surface and bulk. Adhesion between solids is addressed from a theoretical consideration of the electronic nature of the surfaces and experimentally relating bond forces to the nature of the interface resulting from solid state contact. Surface properties correlated with adhesion include, atomic or molecular orientation, reconstruction and segregation as well as the chemistry of the surface specie. Where dissimilar solids are in contact the contribution of each is considered as is the role of their interactive chemistry on bond strength. Bulk properties examined include elastic and plastic behavior in the surficial regions, cohesive binding energies, crystal structure, crystallographic orientation and state. Materials examined with respect to interfacial adhesive interactions include metals, alloys, ceramics, polymers and diamond. They are reviewed both in single and polycrystalline form. The surfaces of the contacting solids are studied both in the atomic or molecularly clean state and in the presence of selected surface contaminants.

Buckley, D. H.↗

Definition and effect of chemical properties of surfaces in friction, wear, and lubrication

Much of the data relative to the properties of surfaces that have been used in the past in analyzing, interpreting and predicting adhesion, friction and wear behavior for solid surfaces is now suspect. With the advent of analytical surface tools, careful and complete characterization of surfaces indicate that very frequently the outermost layers of solid surfaces are markedly different in chemistry than had been previously thought. These layers, as will be shown, are extremely important in adhesion, friction and wear behavior. Some of the properties to be discussed in the paper relative to their role in adhesion, friction, wear and lubrication will include: (1) adsorption, both physical and chemical; (2) orientation of the solid as well as the lubricant; (3) surface energy; (4) surface segregation; (5) surface versus bulk metallurgical effects; (6) electronic nature of the surface; and (7) bonding mechanisms.

Buckley, D. H.↗

Serrating Nozzle Surfaces for Complete Transfer of Droplets

A method of ensuring the complete transfer of liquid droplets from nozzles in microfluidic devices to nearby surfaces involves relatively simple geometric modification of the nozzle surfaces. The method is especially applicable to nozzles in print heads and similar devices required to dispense liquid droplets having precise volumes. Examples of such devices include heads for soft printing of ink on paper and heads for depositing droplets of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or protein solutions on glass plates to form microarrays of spots for analysis. The main purpose served by the present method is to ensure that droplets transferred from a nozzle have consistent volume, as needed to ensure accuracy in microarray analysis or consistent appearance of printed text and images. In soft printing, droplets having consistent volume are generated inside a print head, but in the absence of the present method, the consistency is lost in printing because after each printing action (in which a drop is ejected from a nozzle), a small residual volume of liquid remains attached to the nozzle. By providing for complete transfer of droplets (and thus eliminating residual liquid attached to the nozzle) the method ensures consistency of volume of transferred droplets. An additional benefit of elimination of residue is prevention of cross-contamination among different liquids printed through the same nozzle a major consideration in DNA microarray analysis. The method also accelerates the printing process by minimizing the need to clean a printing head to prevent cross-contamination. Soft printing involves a hydrophobic nozzle surface and a hydrophilic print surface. When the two surfaces are brought into proximity such that a droplet in the nozzle makes contact with the print surface, a substantial portion of the droplet becomes transferred to the print surface. Then as the nozzle and the print surface are pulled apart, the droplet is pulled apart and most of the droplet remains on the print surface. The basic principle of the present method is to reduce the liquid-solid surface energy of the nozzle to a level sufficiently below the intrinsic solid-liquid surface energy of the nozzle material so that the droplet is not pulled apart and, instead, the entire droplet volume becomes transferred to the print surface. In this method, the liquid-solid surface energy is reduced by introducing artificial surface roughness in the form of micromachined serrations on the inner nozzle surface (see figure). The method was tested in experiments on soft printing of DNA solutions and of deionized water through 0.5-mm-diameter nozzles, of which some were not serrated, some were partially serrated, and some were fully serrated. In the nozzles without serrations, transfer was incomplete; that is, residual liquids remained in the nozzles after printing. However, in every nozzle in which at least half the inner surface was serrated, complete transfer of droplets to the print surface was achieved.

Kim, Chang-Jin "CJ"↗

Unstructured surface grid generation

Viewgraphs on unstructured surface grid generation are presented. Topics covered include: requirements for curves, surfaces, solids, and text; surface approximation; triangulation; advancing; projection; mapping; and parametric curves.

Jamshid Samareh-Abolhassani↗

Non-Coalescence Effects in Microgravity

Non-coalescence of two bodies of the same liquid and the suppression of contact between liquid drops and solid surfaces is being studied through a pair of parallel investigations being conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Microgravity Research and Support (MARS) Center in Naples, Italy. Both non-coalescence and contact suppression are achieved by exploiting the mechanism of thermocapillary convection to drive a lubricating film of surrounding gas (air) into the space between the two liquid free surfaces (non-coalescence) or between the drop free surface and the solid (contact suppression). Experiments performed to date include flow visualization experiments in both axisymmetric and (nearly) two-dimensional geometries and quantitative measurements of film thickness in the contact-suppression case in both geometries.

Neitzel, G. Paul↗

Non-Coalescence Effects in Microgravity

Non-coalescence of two bodies of the same liquid and the suppression of contact between liquid drops and solid surfaces is being studied through a pair of parallel investigations being conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Microgravity Research and Support (MARS) Center in Naples, Italy. Both non-coalescence and contact suppression are achieved by exploiting the mechanism of thermocapillary convection to drive a lubricating film of surrounding gas (air) into the space between the two liquid free surfaces (non-coalescence) or between the drop free surface and the solid (contact suppression). Earlier experiments performed included flow-visualization experiments in both axisymmetric and (nearly) two-dimensional geometries and quantitative measurements of film thickness in the contact-suppression case in both geometries. Work done in the second year has focused on obtaining quantitative results relating to the effects of variable air pressure, development of analytical and numerical models of non-coalescing droplets and to pursuing potential applications of these self-lubricated systems.

Neitzel, G. Paul↗

Non-Coalescence Effects in Microgravity

Non-coalescence of two bodies of the same liquid and the suppression of contact between liquid drops and solid surfaces is being studied through a pair of parallel investigations being conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Microgravity Research and Support (MARS) Center in Naples, Italy. Both non-coalescence and contact suppression are achieved by exploiting the mechanism of thermocapillary convection to drive a lubricating film of surrounding gas (air) into the space between the two liquid free surfaces (non-coalescence) or between the drop free surface and the solid (contact suppression). Experiments performed to date include flow visualization experiments in both axisymmetric and (nearly) two-dimensional geometries and quantitative measurements of film thickness in the contact-suppression case in both geometries.

Neitzel, G. Paul↗

Droplet-surface Impingement Dynamics for Intelligent Spray Design

Spray cooling has high potential in thermal management and life support systems by overcoming the deleterious effect of microgravity upon two-phase heat transfer. In particular spray cooling offers several advantages in heat flux removal that include the following: 1. By maintaining a wetted surface, spray droplets impinge upon a thin fluid film rather than a dry solid surface 2. Most heat transfer surfaces will not be smooth but rough. Roughness can enhance conductive cooling, aid liquid removal by flow channeling. 3. Spray momentum can be used to a) substitute for gravity delivering fluid to the surface, b) prevent local dryout and potential thermal runaway and c) facilitate liquid and vapor removal. Yet high momentum results in high We and Re numbers characterizing the individual spray droplets. Beyond an impingement threshold, droplets splash rather than spread. Heat flux declines and spray cooling efficiency can markedly decrease. Accordingly we are investigating droplet impingement upon a) dry solid surfaces, b) fluid films, c) rough surfaces and determining splashing thresholds and relationships for both dry surfaces and those covered by fluid films. We are presently developing engineering correlations delineating the boundary between splashing and non-splashing regions.

VanderWal, Randy L.↗

Enhanced Boiling on Micro-Configured Composite Surfaces Under Microgravity Conditions

Two experimental setups: High Heat Flux Pool Boiling Setup and Optical system of Measuring Contact Angle and Spreading Parameters were established and a series of experiments was conducted. The experimental work on the nucleate boiling performance of both Freon-113 and water on the composite surfaces has been finished and the results show that the composite surface with 25% volume fraction of graphite fibers in the copper matrix has the best enhancing performance. Stronger enhancement was obtained for water compared to Freon-113. The wall superheat initiating boiling was reduced 40% and 35% and the heat flux of the nucleate boiling was augmented up to ten times and 6.7 times, respectively. A bubble departure model has been presented to explain the enhancement mechanism of the boiling heat transfer on the composite surfaces. A powerful optical method to measure contact angle and spreading parameters of liquids on solid surfaces, including both transparent and non-transparent substrates, has been developed and successfully used in the measurements for various liquid-solid systems. The experimental work on identification of profiles near three-phase line by laser shadowgraphy method has been finished and the characteristics of the three-phase line for different liquid-solid systems were unveiled, which is very important to understand the mechanism of boiling under microgravity conditions. The four basic patterns of sessile profile were discovered through caustics and caustic-diffraction analysis by applying wave theory in shadowgraphy technology, which contributes to clearly explain the different characteristics of wetting and spreading of various liquids on a solid surface, and therefore to further understand the bubble departure mechanisms. A new working pattern of heat pipes using working fluids with positive surface-tension gradient against temperature was discovered and analyzed, and then the new heat pipe systems using this kind of working fluids have been presented. Two patent devices, i.e. Shadowgraphic Method to Measure Properties of Sessile Drops and Heat Pipe Systems Using New Working Fluids, have been developed; the former has been approved by The United States Patent & Trademark Office and the latter is being examined.

Source record↗

How Does a Liquid Wet a Solid? Hydrodynamics of Dynamic Contact Angles

A contact line is defined at the intersection of a solid surface with the interface between two immiscible fluids. When one fluid displaces another immiscible fluid along a solid surface, the process is called dynamic wetting and a "moving" contact line (one whose position relative to the solid changes in time) often appears. The physics of dynamic wetting controls such natural and industrial processes as spraying of paints and insecticides, dishwashing, film formation and rupture in the eye and in the alveoli, application of coatings, printing, drying and imbibition of fibrous materials, oil recovery from porous rocks, and microfluidics.

Rame, Enrique↗