Yuri Muzychka - Laboratories

Microfluidics Research

About the Group

The Microfluidics Research Group is a new initiative at Memorial University. The group is highly interdisciplinary and is devoted to the development of new microfluidic based technologies. These applications include developing analytical tests, micro-cooling technology, and BioMEMS. Under the direction of individual group members, students can fabricate, analyse and test microfluidic devices for a wide array of applications such as microelectronics cooling and lab on chip.

People

This research group is based jointly in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science.

Participating Faculty Researchers

  • Dr. Y. Muzychka (Mechanical Engineering)
    • Fundamental Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer
    • Complex Internal Flows
    • Designed Porous Media
    • Compact Energy Devices

Current Research Topics

  • Single Phase Gas or Liquid Flow in Micro- and Mini-channels
  • Two phase Gas/Liquid Flow in Micro-channels
  • Two Phase Immiscible Liquid Flows in Micro- and Mini-channels
  • Two Phase Solid/Liquid Flow in Micro- and Mini-channels
  • Micro-mixers
  • Development of Optimal Internal Flow Architecture (Constructal Design)

Equipment and Facilities

State of the art research equipment is available though several independent research labs overseen by each member. These include the Microfluidics Research Laboratory, the Surface Analaysis and Microfabrication Laboratory, and the Analytic Chemistry Laboratory. Students conducting research within the Microfluidics Research Group have access to all facilities maintained by its members in addition to other equipment available within the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Science.

Microfluidics Research Laboratory (Dr. Y. Muzychka)

  • Single Phase / Two Phase Flow Loop for measurements on Mini-channels, Compact Heat Exchangers, and Compact Liquid Cooled Heat Sinks. Liquid flow range: 0 - 60 L/min, Gas flow range: 0 - 50 L/min
  • 6 inch Bench Windtunnel for testing compact air cooled assemblies and heat sink systems. Air flow range: 0 - 10 m/s.
  • Harvard Apparatus Pump 33 Programmable Twin Motor - Dual Syringe Pump (Injection/Withdrawl, 60 lbs linear force) for microfluidic flows
  • Micro/Macro PIV/PLIF Analysis System (Coming Soon!)
  • Kiethly Systems 40 channel data acquisition system
  • Xantrex 1200 Watt (150V, 8A) programmable power supply
  • DigiSense 1750 Watt programmable thermal controller
  • Red Lake Imaging MotionScope PCI 1000s 1200 frame per second high speed camera
  • Selection of liquid and gas flow sensors and high accuracy pressure transducers
  • Modelling Software: Maple, Mathematica, MATLAB, Fluent, TecPlot, and LabVIEW

Surface Analysis and Microfabrication Laboratory (Dr. E. Merschrod, Chemistry)

  • Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
  • Plasma Etch Inc. RIE plasma etcher

Additional facilities within the Faculty of Engineering which students have access to include: a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) in the Materials Science Laboratory and Inco Innovation Center, and an Electron Discharge Machining facility (Micro-EDM) in the MEMS and Mechatronics Laboratory.

Research Funding

  • NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council)
  • CFI (Canada Foundation for Innovation)
  • Petro-Canada Young Innovator Program

Recent Publications by Group Members

Y.S. Muzychka and J. Edge, Laminar Non-Newtonian Fluid Flow in Non-Circular Ducts and Micro-Channels, Submitted to the 2007 International Mechanical Engineering Conference and Exposition, November, 2007, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Z.P. Duan and Y.S. Muzychka, Models for Gaseous Slip Flow in Non-Circular Micro-channels, To be presented at the ASME/JSME Joint Thermal Engineering and Summer Heat Transfer Conference, July 8-12, Vancouver, BC, 2007.

Z.P. Duan and Y.S. Muzychka, Slip Flow Heat Transfer in Annular Microchannels with Constant Heat FLux, Submitted to Journal of Heat Transfer, 2007.

Z.P. Duan and Y.S. Muzychka, Effect of Corrugated Axial Roughness on Fully Developed Flow in Circular Micro-channels, Submitted to Journal of Applied Mechanics, 2007.

Z.P. Duan and Y.S. Muzychka, Effect of Corrugated Roughness on Fully Developed Flow in Circular Micro-channels, Submitted Journal of Fluids Engineering, 2007.

Z.P. Duan and Y.S. Muzychka, Slip Flow in the Hydrodynamic Entrance Region of Non-Circular Micro-channels, Submitted to International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 2007.

Z.P. Duan and Y.S. Muzychka, Effect of Compressibility on Slip Flow in Non-Circular Micro-channels, Submitted to Microscale Thermophysical Engineering, 2007.

Z.P. Duan and Y.S. Muzychka, Slip Flow in Elliptic Micro-channels, International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 2007, Available Online.

Z.P. Duan and Y.S. Muzychka, Slip Flow in Non-Circular Micro-channels, Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, 2007, Available Online.

M. Awad and Y.S. Muzychka, Bounds on Two Phase Flow in Micro-channels and Mini-channels, Accepted for publication in Heat Transfer Engineering, 2007. Also presented at the 4th International Conference on Nano, Micro, and Mini-channels, June, 2006, Limerick, Ireland.

Y.S. Muzychka, Constructal Multi-scale Design of Micro-Tube Heat Sinks and Heat Exchangers, International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 2007, In Press (Available Online).

Y.S. Muzychka, Constructal Design of Forced Convection Cooled Micro-Channel Heat Sinks and Heat Exchangers, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 48, No. 15, pp. 3119-3127, 2005. Also presented at the 3rd ASME International Conference on Micro-Channels and Mini-channels, Toronto, Canada.