Modelling, validation and design parameters to assist the laser-based fabrication process of micromodels
EMSL Project ID
50027
Abstract
Glass substrates are more often preferred over silicon and polymers for the manufacturing of microfluidic devices because of their high transparency, thermal stability, hardness and chemical resistance. However, the conventional manufacturing of glass-based microfluidic devices is a time consuming and expensive, complex and multistep process that involves photolithography, chemical etching, and anodic bonding. Recently, we have developed a relatively inexpensive laser-based process that can be used for the fabrication of enclosed micro-models in borosilicate glass. We believe that this technology is applicable for the study of multi-phase fluid flow and mineral interaction processes at the pore level. Moreover, designing of appropriate micro-structures for specific fluid flow experiments most often requires performing numerical simulations in order to predict fluid flow behaviour in such structures under various experimental conditions. Simulations are also particularly useful for prototyping micro-models, as in our case, because the geometry, physical dimensions, and surface properties of micro-channels and pores in the structure have a significant effect on fluid flow dynamics. Accordingly, the aim of this proposal is to use numerical simulations to confirm the use of our laser-generated micro-models to study flow and reactive transport in porous media. The specific objectives of this proposal are as follows:
1. Use of numerical simulations to investigate the impact of the micro-model features (i.e. pore geometry, dimensions, aspect ratio, surface roughness) on single-phase fluid flow under various experimental conditions.
2. Laser fabrication and characterisation of glass-based micro-models, and performance of flow tests.
3. Validation of information derived from the flow tests of the micro-structures with numerical simulations.
In this proposal, we request access to the EMSL computing facilities for the support in the designing of our laser-generated micro-structures. We propose to utilize the TETHYS computational fluid dynamics code, which was developed by PNNL staff, for numerical simulation of single-phase flow. TETHYS has previously been used to perform simulations of EMSL microfluidics experiments as well as complex 3D porous media flows. It has demonstrated good scalability up to thousands of cores on large parallel systems and can readily be applied to simulate micromodel single- and multi-phase flow.
Moreover, the results of the numerical simulations will help us to improve the fabrication process of micro-models and will pinpoint utmost important parameters that have an impact on the multi-phase flow in porous media. One of the key potential advantages of the laser-based microfabrication process is the ability to embed discrete mineral phases within the pore structure. This provides a unique opportunity to investigate and understand the interactions between organic matter and mineral surfaces and the role of those interactions in the transformation and fate of organic carbon and other elements in subsurface environments, which is one emphasis of EMSL’s Terrestrial and Subsurface Ecosystems.
Project Details
Project type
Limited Scope
Start Date
2017-12-11
End Date
2018-02-10
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigator(s)
Team Members