https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2019-11914-8
Regular Article
Thermoosomosis in microfluidic devices containing a temperature gradient normal to the channel walls
1
Institute of Biochemical Physics, RAS, Moscow, Russia
2
Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA
* e-mail: sem@triniti.ru
** e-mail: mschimpf@boisetstate.edu
Received:
21
February
2019
Accepted:
11
October
2019
Published online:
14
November
2019
We analyze a microfluidic pump from the literature that utilizes a flat channel with boundary walls at different temperatures and tilted elongated pillars within in order to construct an adequate theory for designing devices in which the temperature gradient between channel walls is transformed into a longitudinal temperature gradient along the channel length. The action of the device is based on thermoosmosis in the secondary longitudinal temperature gradient associated with the specific geometry of the device, which can be described using physicochemical hydrodynamics without invoking the concept of thermophoretic force. We also describe a rotating drive device based on the same principle and design.
Key words: Topical issue: Thermal Non-Equilibrium Phenomena in Soft Matter
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature, 2019
