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
Designing an Eco-Friendly Anode Baking Process with Numerical Modeling
Aluminum is extracted through the Hall–Héroult process, during which it is removed from bauxite using green anodes. A ...
Reliable Structures and Wearable Systems Call for Multiphysics Simulation
At STMicroelectronics, engineers use numerical simulation to optimize semiconductor solutions for a wide range of use ...
Multiphysics Simulation Drives Smart City Technology
Traditional power boxes are bulky and too large. To design a power box that is more space-conscious, modular, and ...
Optimizing Wireless Test Systems and Antennas for High-Speed Communication
To design reverberation systems for measuring the performance of wireless devices and wideband antennas, engineers at ...
