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This study evaluates the open-source software Basilisk for simulating microdroplet generation in coaxial microfluidic devices. The researchers validated their numerical simulations against analytical theories and experimental data, then conducted extensive simulations to analyze different droplet generation regimes and identify how physical parameters affect droplet size. They developed improved scaling laws that predict droplet diameters in dripping and jetting regimes more accurately than existing models by incorporating additional factors such as viscosity ratio.
Why it matters
Accurate simulation tools for microfluidic droplet generation can accelerate the design and optimization of devices used in biochemical and pharmaceutical applications, reducing the need for costly trial-and-error experimentation. The improved scaling laws provide engineers and researchers with better predictive capabilities for controlling droplet size and uniformity in manufacturing processes.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
Abstract: The generation of microdroplets via segmentation in microfluidic devices is of interest in many applications, from biochemical to pharmaceutical. This technique permits indeed much higher control on the droplet size, uniformity and generation rate than in standard batch generation processes. In this work we have evaluated the suitability of the open-source software Basilisk to accurately predict microdroplet generation by segmentation. We have validated the numerical tool with analytical solutions for the dynamics of droplets in confined flows, namely with Bretherton theory, and by comparison with literature experimental results. We have then performed several campaigns of numerical simulations for a coaxial device, analyzing the different regimes of droplet generation, and evaluating how the physical and flow parameters affect the production mechanisms and {the diameters of the generated droplets}. Finally we have proposed new scaling laws for the prediction of droplet diameters in the dripping and jetting regimes, refining existing ones by taking into account additional physical effects, like the viscosity ratio.
Source: Analysis and simulations of droplet generation regimes in a coaxial microfluidic device