Publications
Article type
Sort:
Open Access Paper Issue
Fabrication of extreme wettability surface for controllable droplet manipulation over a wide temperature range
International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing 2022, 4 (4): 045103
Published: 14 October 2022
Abstract PDF (4.9 MB) Collect
Downloads:3

Droplet controllable manipulation over a wide temperature range has promising applications in microelectronic heat dissipation, inkjet printing, and high temperature microfluidic system. However, the fabrication of a platform for controllable droplet manipulation using the methods commonly used in industry remains a tremendously challenge. The popular method of controlling droplets is highly dependent on external energy input and has relatively poor controllability in terms of droplet motion behaviors and manipulation environment, such as distance, velocity, direction and a wide temperature range. Here, we report a facile and industrially applicable method for preparing Al superhydrophobic (S-phobic) surfaces, which enables controlled droplet bouncing, evaporation, and transport over a wide temperature range. Systematic mechanistic studies are also investigated. Extreme wettability surfaces were prepared on Al substrate by a composite process of electrochemical mask etching and micro-milling. To investigate the evaporation process and thermal coupling characteristics, controlled evaporation and controlled bouncing of droplet in a wide temperature range were conducted. Based on the evaporation regulation and bouncing mechanism of droplets on an extreme wettability surface, by using Laplace pressure gradients and temperature gradients, we realized controlled transport of droplets with confluence, split-flow, and gravity-resistant transport over a wide temperature range, offering a potential platform for a series of applications, such as new drug candidates and water collection.

Open Access Issue
Designing an ultrasonic array device to transport space particle suspension
Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Science and Technology 2022, 2 (1): 2022004
Published: 15 January 2022
Abstract PDF (14.7 MB) Collect
Downloads:0

Space particle suspension transport has the advantages to avoid adsorption loss, contact pollution, and signal interference, and has potential applications in the fields of cell self-assembly, controllable distribution of nanoparticles, and micro-Led mass transfer. Here, an ultrasonic array device was developed to obtain space particle levitation transport, and explore the suspension mechanism of the specific impact of the modulation signal on the space transmission and the mechanism of using the phase modulation signal to control the opposed linear transducer array to realize the space transportation. The suspension and directional transportation of ultrasonic standing waves are both non-contact and important means for processing without a certain container, and have a very broad application prospect in the fields of mechanical manufacturing, biochemical trace analysis, and droplet dynamics and so on. In this paper, aiming at the imperfect mechanism of space transportation and the complicated method of space transportation, we propose a new method of using phase modulation signals to control the array of opposite linear transducers to realize the space transportation of solid pellets. The transportation acceleration is used to characterize the stationarity in the transportation process, and the specific deviations of different phases of the modulation signal are set, so that the curves of acceleration change and position change of solid pellets in the transportation cycle can be drawn. The results show that when the phase deviation is π/2, it is the best to realize the stability of lateral transportation. When the phase deviation of coaxial array elements is set to π in longitudinal transportation, stable and long-distance transportation based on cycle period can be realized. The parametric model of 3D finite element is established, and the specific distribution of instantaneous sound pressure of dynamic sound field in space transportation is simulated. By comparing the experimental phenomena with different simulation results, we can find that the transportation process of solid balls is in good agreement with the movement of sound pressure nodes in sound field.

Total 2