G. Potter
SUNY Albany, NY, USA
Many sensors, such as flow sensors and those used in medical diagnostics, rely on microfluidic devices. However, mixing and pumping fluids becomes challenging because of the small size of these devices. As an alternative to traditional actuation methods, surface acoustic waves (SAWs) can be used to create fluid streaming. Through a collaboration between SUNY Albany and SEMATECH, researchers have modeled and simulated a configuration of interdigitated transducers (IDTs), along with the piezoelectric substrate configuration and harmonic vibrations that generate SAWs. Using COMSOL Multiphysics, they studied the factors that affect the optimization of the device geometry, such as the acoustic streaming response and resonant frequency. Using their simulation results, they have confirmed that SAWs with greater vertical displacements have higher streaming velocities, and have correlated their results to experimental measurements.
Suggested Stories
From Spreadsheets to Multiphysics Applications, ABB Continues to Power Up the Transformer Industry
The buzzing sound you sometimes hear when walking past high-voltage transmission lines is caused by transformers used ...
Compressing the Timeline to a Fusion Future
General Fusion has successfully designed and optimized a fusion demonstration machine with the help of multiphysics ...
Simulation Applications Streamline the Development of Electric Vehicle Motors
Engineers at Volkswagen Kassel build and distribute simulation applications that can be used to evaluate the strength ...
Giving Furniture Testing a Leg Up
Chairs must meet quality standards, which requires lengthy and costly testing. To reduce the burden on manufacturers, ...
