Examination of the dominant factor affecting the mixing in the microchannel

Abstract

Abstract The effect of the input flowrate ratio and the Reynolds numbers in range from 10 to 300 on the mixing of liquids in a T-type micromixer was examined. Linear trends of mixing efficiency change on the ratio of input flowrates and Reynolds number are approximated. The most effective mixing (the mixing coefficient reaches 0.86) was obtained at Reynolds numbers 186 and 300 and the input flowrate ratio R = 1. It is determined that with equal input flowrate ratio, as the Reynolds number increases from 10 to 300, the mixing efficiency rises sharply: from 0.2 to 0.8 (for 0.5 < R < 1). Variation of the ratio of input flowrates at low Reynolds numbers in the range from 10 to 120 can lead to a significant increase in the mixing of liquids (Re = 47, the growth mixing from 0.22 to 0.67). With Reynolds numbers 186 and 300, as the input flowrate ratio increases from 0.1 to 1, the mixing ratio rises from 0.25–0.30 to 0.85–0.90.