Application of the electrodiffusion sensors to the flow diagnostics in microfluidic systems
The project is focused on characterization of two-phase flows in microfluidic systems. The high-tech fabrication techniques will be used to produce microdevices with precisely located microelectrodes. These electrodiffusion sensors for the near-wall flow diagnostics will be, for the rst time, implemented at a microfluidic scale. The proposed measurements will provide information on the wall shear stress, the local flow structures, and the eect of bubbles/particles on the near-wall flow region (e.g. the liquid film under bubbles, the apparent wall slip in microdispersions). The application of the particle image velocimetry together with the microscopic visualization techniques will complete the hydrodynamic picture of the studied microfluidic flow congurations (junction, crossing, sudden expansion). It is expected that the electrodiusion method will be proved as a suitable tool for microdevice diagnostics. The obtained experimental knowledge and the derived physical models will be useful for design, control, and optimization of microfluidic devices.