Numerical Investigation of Non-Newtonian Fluid Rheology in a T-Shaped Microfluidics Channel Integrated with Complex Micropillar Structures Under Acoustic, Electric, and Magnetic Fields

Microfluidics is considered a revolutionary interdisciplinary technology with substantial interest in various biomedical applications. Many non-Newtonian fluids often used in microfluidics systems are notably influenced by the external active fields, such as acoustic, electric, and magnetic fields, leading to changes in rheological behavior. In this study, a numerical investigation is carried out to explore the rheological behavior of non-Newtonian fluids in a T-shaped microfluidics channel integrated with complex micropillar structures under the influence of acoustic, electric, and magnetic fields. For this purpose, COMSOL Multiphysics with laminar flow, pressure acoustic, electric current, and magnetic field physics is used to examine rheological characteristics of non-Newtonian fluids. Three polymer solutions, such as 2000 ppm xanthan gum (XG), 1000 ppm polyethylene oxide (PEO), and 1500 ppm polyacrylamide (PAM), are used as a non-Newtonian fluids with the Carreau–Yasuda fluid model to characterize the shear-thinning behavior. Moreover, numerical simulations are carried out with different input parameters, such as Reynolds numbers (0.1, 1, 10, and 50), acoustic pressure (5 Mpa, 6.5 Mpa, and 8 Mpa), electric voltage (200 V, 250 V, and 300 V), and magnetic flux (0.5 T, 0.7 T, and 0.9 T). The findings reveal that the incorporation of active fields and micropillar structures noticeably impacts fluid rheology. The acoustic field induces higher shear-thinning behavior, decreasing dynamic viscosity from 0.51 Pa·s to 0.34 Pa·s. Similarly, the electric field induces higher shear rates, reducing dynamic viscosities from 0.63 Pa·s to 0.42 Pa·s, while the magnetic field drops the dynamic viscosity from 0.44 Pa·s to 0.29 Pa·s. Additionally, as the Reynolds number increases, the shear rate also rises in the case of electric and magnetic fields, leading to more chaotic flow, while the acoustic field advances more smooth flow patterns and uniform fluid motion within the microchannel. Moreover, a proposed experimental framework is designed to study non-Newtonian fluid mixing in a T-shaped microfluidics channel under external active fields. Initially, the microchannel was fabricated using a high-resolution SLA printer with clear photopolymer resin material. Post-processing involved analyzing particle distribution, mixing quality, fluid rheology, and particle aggregation. Overall, the findings emphasize the significance of considering the fluid rheology in designing and optimizing microfluidics systems under active fields, especially when dealing with complex fluids with non-Newtonian characteristics.