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In this paper three-dimensional single-phase liquid flow through microchannels with a square-shaped cross-section driven by simultaneous application of pressure gradient and electroosmotic pumping mechanism is studied. The governing system of equations consists of the electric potential field and flow field equations. The solution procedure involves three steps. First, the net charge distribution on the cross-section of the microchannel is computed by solving two-dimensional Poisson-Boltzmann equation using the finite element method. Then, using the computed fluid's charge distribution, the magnitude of the resulting body force due to interaction of an external electric field with the charged fluid particles is calculated along the microchannel. In the third step, the flow equations are solved by considering three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations with an electrokinetic body force. The computations reveal that the flow pattern in the microchannel is significantly different from the parabolic velocity profile of the laminar pressure-driven flow. The effect of the liquid bulk ionic concentration and the external electric field strength on flow patterns through the squareshaped microchannels is also investigated.

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In this paper, a three-dimensional numerical model is developed to analyze flow characteristics of pressure driven, electroosmotic and combined pressure driven-electroosmotic flows through micro-channels. The governing system of equations consists of the electric-field and flow-field equations. The solution procedure involves three steps. The net charge distribution on the cross section of the micro-channel is computed by solving two-dimensional Poisson-Boltzmann equation using the finite element method. Then, using the computed fluid’s charge distribution, the magnitude of the resulting body force due to interaction of an external electric field with the charged fluid is calculated along the micro-channel. Finally, three dimensional Navier-Stokes equations are solved by considering the presence of the electro-kinetic body forces in the flow system for electroosmotic and combined pressure driven electroosmotic flow cases. The results reveal that the flow patterns for combined PD-EO cases are significantly different from the parabolic velocity profile of the laminar pressure-driven flow. The effect of the liquid bulk ionic concentration and the external electric field strength on flow patterns through the square-shaped micro-channels is also investigated over a wide range of external electric field strengths and bulk ionic concentration.

In this paper a three-dimensional numerical model is developed in order to study the heat transfer enhancement in rectangular microchannels due to electrokinetic effect. The electrokinetic body force on fluid elements gives some superior convective transport properties to the flow relative to pure pressure driven flow in microchannels. Unlike the conventional parabolic velocity profile of pressure driven laminar flow, the electrokinetic body force transforms the velocity profile to a slug-like flow. Due to sharp velocity gradient near the wall, the convective heat transfer properties of the flow are improved dramatically. Net charge distribution across the channel is obtained by solving the 2D Poisson-Boltzmann equation. The incompressible laminar Navier-Stokes equations are then solved numerically by considering the presence of electrokinetic body force using the finite element method. Finally to obtain the temperature field through the channel, three-dimensional energy equation is solved for constant wall temperature condition. The analysis provides a unique fundamental insight into the complex flow and heat transfer pattern established in the channel due to combined pressure driven-electroosmotic pumping mechanism. The results are compared with the pressure driven flow in same channel. The comparison reveals significant change in flow pattern and heat transfer characteristics of single phase flow through microchannel by adding electroosmotic pumping mechanism to pressure driven flow.