Active chaotic mixing in a channel with rotating arc-walls

An active inlinemixer suitable for flows at low Reynolds number and high Peclet number is studied. An alternated oscillatory forcing protocol is imposed by three rotating circular arc-walls in a straight channel. In the two-dimensional case, simple phenomenological arguments are used to estimate heuristically themixing efficiency with two nondimensional control parameters: the Strouhal number based on the bulk flow velocity and the strength of the cross flow relative to the transport flow. The validity and limitations of the proposed mixing conditions are explained by the transport mechanisms in the mixer. The beneficial role of the elliptic flow regions for stretching and folding the passive scalar interfaces is highlighted as well as a correlation between good mixing ability and the chaotic advection of tracers in the mixing zone.

Automated summary

An active inlinemixer suitable for flows at low Reynolds number and high Peclet number was studied, utilizing an alternated oscillatory forcing protocol and two nondimensional control parameters to estimate mixing efficiency. The study emphasized the beneficial role of elliptic flow regions in stretching and folding passive scalar interfaces, as well as highlighting a correlation between chaotic advection of tracers and good mixing ability in the mixing zone.