Mixing Simulations of a Wankel Pump as a Micromixer

Wan, S; Lau, MSW; Leong, J; An, N; Goh, KL

doi:10.1115/MNHMT2016-6654

Mixing Simulations of a Wankel Pump as a Micromixer

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Stephen Wan, Dr Michael Lau, Dr Kheng-Lim Goh ORCiD

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Abstract

The present work was movitated by an earlier study on pumps based on a Wankel geometry (Wankel pumps) which revealed a flow structure, rich in three dimensional vortices (including Taylor like counter-rotating ones), in the pump chamber, suggesting the possibility of a Wankel pump of also functioning as a mixer. To this end, numerical mixing experiments were run using the general scalar transport equation to model the evolution of species concentration. Interestingly, it was observed that species dispersion occurs predominantly sideways (laterally) and that vertical dispersion is almost non-existent. In other words, for binary mixing of two species with a Wankel pump, they must be introduced side by side to ensure effective mixing.