Enhancing Fluid Mixing in T/Y-Shaped Passive Micromixers Using Geometric Obstacles

Abstract

Efficient fluid mixing in microfluidic systems is crucial for applications in lab-on-a-chip (LoC) technologies, where precise and rapid mixing is required. At low Reynolds numbers, microfluid flow remains predominantly laminar, making diffusion the primary mixing mechanism. This study explores the use of passive micromixers with T/Y-shaped configurations incorporating geometric obstacles — cylinders, cuboids, triangular prisms, etc. — to enhance mixing efficiency. These obstacles disrupt the natural flow dynamics, promoting chaotic advection and improving mixing performance. Flow simulations were conducted using COMSOL Multiphysics to evaluate the effectiveness of various micromixer geometries. The findings contribute to the development of high-performance microfluidic devices for biomedical and analytical applications, optimizing mixing efficiency through innovative design modifications.