No abstract

This paper investigates the micropumping action using orthogonal electrode pattern. It is reported in literature that the high microflows velocity can be achieved using orthogonal electrode pattern when excited by AC signals. Here in this paper we will investigate the effect of both AC and DC signal on orthogonal electrode pattern. We will also investigate the flow in an orthogonal electroosmotic micropump, where the combination of both DC and AC voltages were applied to optimize the fluid flow rate. The design of an orthogonal electrode pair, improves the non-uniformity in electric field, as a result producing stronger net flows at lower voltages. The capacitive electrode polarization and faradaic polarization are proposed to explain the different flow patterns. The fluid flow is explained by impedance analysis and velocity measurement. This investigation of microflow can improve the understanding of electrokinetics and hence effectively manipulate fluids.