Register now After registration you will be able to apply for this opportunity online.
This opportunity is not published. No applications will be accepted.
Numerical simulations of droplet deformations in a microfluidic channel
Micron-sized spherical droplets can be deformed into non-spherical shapes using microfluidic devices. This introduces several complexities while evaluating the pressure field in and around the droplet. The project involves numerically simulating the deformation process using COMSOL Multiphysics with different microfluidic device geometries and evaluating the pressure field to fully characterize the deformations.
Acoustic Droplet Vaporization (ADV) is a novel technique wherein micron- and sub-micron-sized droplets are vaporized into microbubbles upon exposure to high-frequency ultrasound. This process can be used to improve the contrast in medical ultrasound imaging and for targeted drug delivery in the human body. However, the acoustic frequencies and incident pressures for achieving ADV are currently prohibitively high and the process is thereby unsafe and difficult to perform. Therefore, it is necessary to find methods to reduce the required frequency and pressure. In this project, we propose to achieve this with micron-sized droplets that are non-spherical (e.g., ellipsoidal) in shape. To this extent, microfluidic devices capable of deforming spherical droplets (with an initial radius of ~ 60 μm) have been devised.
However, once deformed, droplet dynamics is a lot more difficult to understand and evaluate. The pressure inside a droplet can no longer be considered to be uniform, and recirculation zones are expected inside the droplet and the channel transporting it. Additionally, the use of surfactants introduces Marangoni flow in the channel and introduces further complexities which makes evaluating the pressure drop in the droplet cumbersome. Therefore, this project proposes to numerically simulate the droplet dynamics inside the microfluidic device using COMSOL Multiphysics software in order to characterize the pressure variation and identify the recirculation zones.
Acoustic Droplet Vaporization (ADV) is a novel technique wherein micron- and sub-micron-sized droplets are vaporized into microbubbles upon exposure to high-frequency ultrasound. This process can be used to improve the contrast in medical ultrasound imaging and for targeted drug delivery in the human body. However, the acoustic frequencies and incident pressures for achieving ADV are currently prohibitively high and the process is thereby unsafe and difficult to perform. Therefore, it is necessary to find methods to reduce the required frequency and pressure. In this project, we propose to achieve this with micron-sized droplets that are non-spherical (e.g., ellipsoidal) in shape. To this extent, microfluidic devices capable of deforming spherical droplets (with an initial radius of ~ 60 μm) have been devised.
However, once deformed, droplet dynamics is a lot more difficult to understand and evaluate. The pressure inside a droplet can no longer be considered to be uniform, and recirculation zones are expected inside the droplet and the channel transporting it. Additionally, the use of surfactants introduces Marangoni flow in the channel and introduces further complexities which makes evaluating the pressure drop in the droplet cumbersome. Therefore, this project proposes to numerically simulate the droplet dynamics inside the microfluidic device using COMSOL Multiphysics software in order to characterize the pressure variation and identify the recirculation zones.
The project proposes to numerically simulate the droplet dynamics inside the microfluidic device using COMSOL Multiphysics software in order to characterize the pressure variation and identify the recirculation zones. The aim is to gain a better quantitative understanding of the deformation process.
The project proposes to numerically simulate the droplet dynamics inside the microfluidic device using COMSOL Multiphysics software in order to characterize the pressure variation and identify the recirculation zones. The aim is to gain a better quantitative understanding of the deformation process.
Interested candidates can send an email with a recent transcript of records to aanunay@ethz.ch
Interested candidates can send an email with a recent transcript of records to aanunay@ethz.ch