SPH Based Optimization of Electrowetting-Driven Digital Microfluidics With Advanced Actuation Patterns

Abstract

Fast and thorough mixing is a crucial operation of digital microfluidic devices, where discrete and small fluid portions are moved and processed. In this paper, we want to analyze and to optimize the mixing process by substituting conventional motion and superposing oscillatory and translational modes. An accurate multiphase smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) discretization for incompressible flow is instantiated. Different harmonic excitation patterns for the solid–liquid surface energy are applied and their influence on droplet mode shapes, formation of eddies and the Shannon entropy of droplet fluid components are measured. We tailor enhanced actuation patterns which improve mixing grade and reduce mixing time.