Robust Optimisation of Microfluidic Flow Systems

研究背景：目前在生物学、化学和工程学中使用的大量微流体流动系统的设计是基于在由规则通道几何形状的组合形成的简单流体通道阵列中处理小体积的液体。更广泛地采用微流体技术将需要更灵活和更强大的通道几何优化方法，这些方法可以提供功能性能的阶跃变化，同时考虑制造公差和操作条件的变化。该项目将使用实验和计算方法来探索两种不同方法的性能，以优化微流体通道的实际应用。目的和目标：本项目的目的是探索形状和拓扑方法在提供微流体流动系统性能的阶跃变化方面的有效性，将开发两种用于微流体通道鲁棒优化的方法并进行比较：第一种方法使用相对较少（~10）的关键设计变量的形状优化，第二种方法使用拓扑优化方法，其提供更多的几何设计自由度和性能阶跃变化的前景。这些方法将应用于优化电子冷却应用的散热器，其中减轻热点同时最大限度地减少系统中的压力损失至关重要，并且应用于微流体医疗诊断设备，其中使用聚合酶链式反应复制DNA需要非常精确的温度控制被操纵的液体。每个优化的优化设计将使用机械工程学院的3-D金属打印机进行制造，并使用实验技术对其性能进行验证和比较。潜在的应用和好处：本项目开发的方法将适用于电子冷却应用的散热器的实际设计和生物分析的PCR系统的设计。该项目的工业合作者提供了影响和采用这里开发的方法的途径。Iceotope Ltd可以直接使用这些方法设计高密度冷却应用的散热器，QuantumDx可以更好地了解控制其基于PCR的诊断系统性能的传热机制。NAG有限公司将获得他们的算法应用于新的工程领域的知识，即那些由微流体系统中的热传递控制的领域。

Context of Research:Current designs of the vast array of microfluidic flow systems used throughout biology, chemistry and engineering are based on processing small volumes of liquid in arrays of simple fluidic channels formed from combinations of regular channel geometries. Wider adoption of microfluidic technologies will require much more flexible and robust channel geometry optimisation methods which can deliver a step-change in functional performance whilst accounting for variations in manufacturing tolerances and operating conditions. This project will use experimental and computational methods to explore the performance of two different approaches to the optimisation of microfluidic channels for practical applications. Aims and Objectives:The aim of this project is to explore the effectiveness of shape and topology methods in providing a step change in the performance of microfluidic flow systems.Two approaches for the robust optimisation of microfluidic channels will be developed and their compared: the first using shape optimisation with a relatively small (~10) number of key design variables and the second using topology optimisation methods which provide much more geometric design freedom and the prospect of a step-change in performance. These methods will be applied to the optimisation of heat sinks for electronics cooling applications, where it is vital to mitigate hot spots whilst minimising pressure losses in the system and to microfluidic medical diagnostic devices where the use of Polymerase Chain Reactions to replicate DNA requires very precise temperature control of the liquids being manipulated. The optimised designs from each optimization will be manufactured using the School of Mechanical Engineering's 3-D metal printers and their performance validated and compared using experimental techniques.Potential applications and benefits:The methods developed in this project will be applicable to the practical design of heat sinks for electronics cooling applications and in the design of PCR systems for biological analysis. The industrial collaborators on this project provide pathways to impact and adoption of the methods developed here. The methods could be used direcetly by Iceotope Ltd design heat sinks for high density cooling applications and QuantumDx to provide greater understanding of the heat transfer mechanisms controlling the performance of their PCR-based diagnostic systems. NAG Ltd will gain knowledge of the application of their algorithms to new engineering sectors, namely those governed by heat transfer in microfluidics systems.