Microfluidic pumping optimization in microgrooved channels with ac electrothermal actuations

An optimization methodology is developed and applied to an ac electrothermal pump design with patterned microgrooved features. The microgrooved configuration can overcome the restrictions of the conventional planar configuration on pumping performance by diminishing fast backward flows and suppressing prolonged streamlines. At all frequency excitations (0.2-1000 MHz) and ion concentration conditions (5x10(-3)-0.1 M), the optimum microgrooved configuration generates much faster flow rate than planar configuration. This happens without additional increases in the maximum temperature values. The effects of elevated temperature on ac ET flow behavior is investigated and analyzed.