Joule heating is inevitable when an electric field is applied across a conducting medium. It would impose limitations on the performance of electrokinetic microfluidic devices. This article presents a 3-D mathematical model for Joule heating and its effects on the EOF and electrophoretic transport of solutes in microfluidic channels. The governing equations were numerically solved using the finite-volume method. Experiments were carried out to investigate the Joule heating associated phenomena and to verify the numerical models. A rhodamine B-based thermometry technique was employed to measure the solution temperature distributions in microfluidic channels. The microparticle image velocimetry technique was used to measure the velocity profiles of EOF under the influence of Joule heating. The numerical solutions were compared with experimental results, and reasonable agreement was found. It is found that with the presence of Joule heating, the EOF velocity deviates from its normal "plug-like" profile. The numerical simulations show that Joule heating not only accelerates the sample transport but also distorts the shape of the sample band.
Joule heating is present in electrokinetic transport phenomena, which are widely used in microfluidic
systems. In this paper, a rigorous mathematical model is developed to describe the Joule heating and its
effects on electroosmotic flow and mass species transport in microchannels. The proposed model includes
the Poisson equation, the modified Navier−Stokes equation, and the conjugate energy equation (for the
liquid solution and the capillary wall). Specifically, the ionic concentration distributions are modeled using
(i) the general Nernst−Planck equation and (ii) the simple Boltzmann distribution. The relevant governing
equations are coupled through the temperature-dependent solution dielectric constant, viscosity, and thermal
conductivity, and, hence, they are numerically solved using a finite-volume-based CFD technique. The
applicability of the Nernst−Planck equation and the Boltzmann distribution in the electroosmotic flow
with Joule heating has been discussed. The results of the time and spatial development for both the
electroosmotic flow field and the Joule heating induced temperature field are presented. It is found that
the presence of the Joule heating can result in significantly different electroosmotic flow and mass species
transport characteristics.
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