Squeezing Droplet Formation in a Flow-Focusing Micro Cross-Junction

Abstract

Motivated by the increasing need of optimised micro-devices for droplet production in medical and biological applications, this paper introduces an integrated approach for the study of the liquid–liquid droplet creation in flow-focusing micro cross-junctions. The micro-junction considered is characterised by a restriction of the channels cross-sections in the junction, which has the function of focusing the flow in the region of the droplet formation. The problem is studied numerically in the OpenFOAM environment and validated by a comparison with experimental results obtained by high-speed camera images and micro-PIV measurements. The analysis of the forces acting on the dispersed phase during the droplet formation and the diameter of the droplets obtained numerically are considered for the development of a model of the droplet breakup under the squeezing regime. On the basis of energy balancing during the breakup, a relation between interfacial tension, the size of the cross-sections in the junction, and the time interval needed for droplet creation is obtained, which yields a novel correlation between the dimensionless length of the droplet and the dimensionless flow rate. This research expands our knowledge of the phenomenon of drop creation in micro-junctions with restrictions providing new aid for the optimal design of micro-drop generators.