Numerical study of the effects of acoustic streaming with different IDTs structures on microfluid in microchannel flow

MEMS devices that use ultrasound to generate acoustic streaming are an effective method for non-contact control of cells and particles. Acoustic-based control technology has the characteristics of label-free, non-contact, and high biocompatibility. To optimize the controllability of the future lab-on-a-chip, numerical studies need to be performed before actual manufacturing to save time and reduce additional manufacturing costs. In this paper, a two-step coupling method based on Reynolds stress is proposed. It establishes a method for simulating fluid flow and particle-forced motion under the acoustic streaming effect (ASE). In our work, the influence of PDMS size parameters on the amplitude of acoustic vibration is studied and evaluated. As a further study, the influence of electrode structure with energy constraint on fluid driving strength is designed and evaluated. It is also compared with typical linear electrodes and an explanation is provided. The research in this paper may guide the design of innovative acoustic-based microfluidic devices.