Droplet Formation in a T-Junction Microfluidic Device in the Presence of an Electric Field

In this work, the effect of applying an electric field on droplet formation in a T-junction microfluidic device is examined by simulations based on a recent technique known as lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The electric field is applied in the main channel just beyond the confluence of the continuous and dispersed phases. A combined electrohydrodynamics-multiphase model that can simulate the flow of immiscible fluids in the presence of an electric field is developed and validated. The same model is then applied to study the droplet formation process in a T-junction microfluidic device at a capillary number of 0.01 and at different dispersed to continuous phase flow rate ratios. Results show that there is a decrease in the droplet size and an increase in formation frequency as the electric field is increased. The interplay of the electric and interfacial forces on droplet formation is investigated.