Optimized distributive μ-mixing by ,chaotic' multilamination

摘要

A new micro mixer relying on the consequent utilization of the split-and-recombine (SAR) principle is presented. We show that the mixing can be characterized by a positive finite-time Lyapunov exponent although being highly regular and uniform. Furthermore, a spectral method based on the numerical solution of a pure diffusion equation is developed which allows a computation of concentration profiles and mixing residuals without artifacts from numerical diffusion. Eventually, we compare the performance of the SAR mixer to that of micro mixers relying on interdigital multilamination and hydrodynamic focusing and find it to be superior in terms of mixing efficiency, mixing time and pressure drop in the regime of small Reynolds numbers.