Adaptive Droplets Transport Through Coupled Flow Paths

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Flexible and adaptive materials systems with their ability to create dynamic deformations on the microscale are relevant to a wide variety of exciting new applications such as in tissue engineering, adaptable optics, flexible electronics and soft robotics. The aim of this project is to study and analyze the transport of fluids and droplets in channels interfaced by flexible membranes in microfluidic environment. The proposed microfluidic setup for multiphase flow experiments, consisting of two transport channels separated by a thin flexible membrane, allows for a defined laminar flow-control within transport channels, an exact positioning of droplets and the opportunity to analyze droplet motion and transport within the channels and cross-correlation between the channels. Owing to the moving droplets and applied flow acting on both sides of the membrane, the thin elastic membrane will specifically respond and locally deform on the acting moving contact line, flow-induced pressure differences and shear-induced effects, having a strong impact on the transport properties in both channels. Moreover, using electro-hydrodynamics (EHD), which are going to be applied to interact with, stabilize and modify flow-induced instabilities of the membranes and the feedback in both transport channels, the coupling and cross-communication of the flowing materials and information transport will be amplified and specifically shaped. This membrane-initiated cross-communication will be used to move, adapt, govern, shift and stop droplet motion and specific flows within fluid transport routes and moreover to introduce flow patterns with adaption and self-regulation capabilities as well as on the long term logical links and operations within fluid transport networks.