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A numerical and analytical approach for calculating electrowetting force via droplet positioning method

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Abstract

Electrowetting is one of the most feasible methods for manipulating low-volume droplets on lab-on-a-chip systems. Finding the applied electrowetting force on a droplet and its comparison with movement resistive forces could be very useful in predicting the efficiency of an electrowetting actuator. In this study, the electrowetting force was calculated as a function of droplet position with the aid of analytical way and finite element method (FEM) at different applied voltages. In order to evaluate the results, a coplanar electrowetting actuator with SU-8 dielectric layer was fabricated. Then, an accurate droplet positioning system was utilized and one droplet (10 µl) was positioned on a specific point of the actuator to assess the ability of electrowetting force to overcome the resistive forces. This process was repeated for various points along the workspace of the actuator at different voltages. The experimental results indicated that the errors of FEM and analytical solution in predicting the least moveable voltage was 14%.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

    A. Ghaffari, Y. Hojjat & M. Shirkosh

Authors
  1. A. Ghaffari
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  2. Y. Hojjat
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  3. M. Shirkosh
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Correspondence to Y. Hojjat.

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This study aims to find the applied electrowetting force on a droplet and compare it with movement-resistive forces which could be very beneficial in predicting the efficiency of an electrowetting actuator. To do so, an accurate droplet positioning system was utilized and one droplet (10 µl) was positioned on a specific point of the actuator to assess the ability of electrowetting force to overcome the resistive forces. Furthermore, the electrowetting force was calculated as a function of droplet position with the aid of analytical way and finite element method (FEM) at different applied voltages. The experimental results indicated that the errors of FEM and analytical solution in predicting the least moveable voltage was 14%. These findings can be adapted as a powerful tool for further developing electrowetting actuators.

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Ghaffari, A., Hojjat, Y. & Shirkosh, M. A numerical and analytical approach for calculating electrowetting force via droplet positioning method. Indian J Phys (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12648-023-03054-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12648-023-03054-7

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