Formation of nanoliter bubbles in microfluidic T-junctions

A numerical study on nanoliter bubble formation process in microfluidic T-junctions is conducted. The simulated bubble sequence agrees well with experiments. The pressure and velocity distribution in liquid phase, and streamlines of relative velocity of liquid to bubbles are obtained. We also studied pressure variation at the junction and gas flow rate for the first several bubbles, and illustrated the special impact of channel width ratio on bubble formation process. Finally, we derived the critical nondimensional gas pressure above which bubbles can be generated. © 2010 World Scientific Publishing Company.link_to_subscribed_fulltex