Institute of Fundamental Technological Research

We present a novel type of microfluidic bifurcating junctions which fixes the droplet’s route. Unlike in regular junctions, where a droplet chooses one of two outputs depending on the (often instantaneous) flow distribution, our modifications direct droplets only to one preferred outlet. As we show, this solution works properly regardless of the variations of flow distribution in a wide range of its amplitude. Such modified junctions allow for the encoding of the droplet’s traffic in the geometry of the device. We compare in a series of experiments different junctions having channels of uniform square cross section. Our observations revealed that a small, local modification of the junction in the form of an additional shallow slit imposes a significant consequence for the flow of droplets at an entire microfluidic network’s scale. Another interesting and helpful feature of these new junctions is that they keep the integrity of long droplets, unlike regular junctions, which tend to split long droplets. Our experimental investigations revealed a complex transformation of the long droplet during its transfer through the modified junction. We show that this transformation resembles the Baker’s transform and can be used for the enhancement of mixing inside the droplets. Finally, we show two examples of microfluidic devices where the deterministic character of these modified junctions is utilized to obtain new, non-trivial functionalities. This approach can be used for the engineering of microfluidic devices with embedded procedures replacing active elements like valves or magnetic/electric fields.

Droplet, Microfluidics, Two-phase, Manipulations

Multiple pipetting is a standard laboratory procedure resulting in the compartmentalisation of a liquid sample. Microfluidics offers techniques which can replace this process by the use of tiny droplets. Passive manipulation on droplets is an interesting and promising approach for the design of microfluidic devices which on one hand are easy-to-use and on the other, execute complex laboratory procedures. We present a comprehensive study of the geometry of microfluidic components which encode different operations on droplets into the structure of the device. The understanding of hydrodynamic interactions between the continuous flow and a droplet travelling through confined space of nontrivial microfluidic geometries is crucial for a rational and efficient design of new generation of modular microfluidic processors with embedded instructions.

microfluidics, two-phase flows, droplets

The paper presents a two-stage simplified method for the simulation of comminution process which takes place in a beater mill. The first stage of the proposed method is a simulation of the flow of gas and ore particles through a mill based on a two-phase continuous-discrete model. It allows to capture the interaction between the fluid flow and embedded particles, to determine trajectories of their motion and average velocities and frequencies of their collisions against the flywheel and the mill’s walls. The second stage of the proposed method is a discrete element method simulation of the process of comminution of a single ore particle. It allows to determine the size distribution of created smaller particles in terms of normal velocity and angle of impact and to estimate the global efficiency of the comminution process. The proposed simulation methodology is applied for the verification of the innovative concept of the pplication of high–speed beater mill for the comminution of the copper ore.

In this work a trajectory study of copper ore particles through a fan mill was performed with the use of a commercial CFD code, ANSYS Fluent, coupled with DEM (Discrete Element Method). Particles of different sizes were analysed. Results highlight ore behaviour, fluid flow conditions and mark places requiring geometrical improvements.

CFD, DEM, beater mill

Modelowanie i symulacje numeryczne są obecnie nieodłączną częścią projektowania i optymalizacji różnorodnych procesów technologicznych. Zastosowanie metod numerycznych w projektowaniu procesów mechanicznego urabiania i przeróbki rud metali jest w dalszym ciągu stosunkowo niewielkie. Procesy odspajania kawałków skały od calizny i ich rozdrobnienia z zastosowaniem różnego rodzaju maszyn, wiążą się silnie nieciągłymi zjawiskami zniszczenia materiału i są bardzo trudne do modelowania za pomocą standardowych metod numerycznych, takich jak metoda elementów skończonych, opartych na ciągłym sformułowaniu zagadnienia mechaniki ciała stałego. Duże możliwości w zastosowaniu do tych procesów ma intensywnie rozwijana w ostatnich latach metoda elementów dyskretnych, w której materiał jest reprezentowany przez liczny zbiór ziaren, oddziałujących między sobą poprzez siły kontaktu. Model ten w sposób naturalny uwzględnia materiał rozdrobniony. Uwzględnienie wiązań kohezyjnych między ziarnami oraz możliwości ich zrywania umożliwia modelowanie inicjacji i propagacji pęknięć w materiale. W niniejszej pracy zostaną przedstawione możliwości wykorzystania metody elementów dyskretnych do symulacji urabiania skał za pomocą noży stożkowych i dysków oraz do symulacji zachowania się materiału w młynie. Sprzężenie metody elementów dyskretnych z modelem przepływu płynu umożliwi modelowanie zawiesiny pyłowej rozdrabnianego materiału.

modelowanie dyskretne, mechaniczne urabianie, rudy metali

Fan mills, although generally used in coal comminution, show potential for the use with other minerals. They achieve high internal fluid velocities due to a spinning flywheel with its axis of revolutions normal to the flow. After hitting the flywheel, the ore is shed upward into a filter, where particles small enough are passed further on towards the next process stage. Particles considered too big are recirculated back onto the flywheel. In this work a trajectory study of copper ore particles through a fan mill was performed with the use of a commercial CFD code, ANSYS Fluent, coupled two-way with DEM (Discrete Element Method). Particles of different sizes were analysed. Results highlight ore behaviour, fluid flow conditions and mark places requiring geometrical improvements.

In this work a trajectory study of copper ore particles through a fan mill was performed with the use of a commercial CFD code, ANSYS Fluent, coupled with DEM (Discrete Element Method). Particles of different sizes were analysed. Results highlight ore behaviour, fluid flow conditions and mark places requiring geometrical improvements.

CFD, DEM, Beater mill