Electroconvective Cavity Flow Patterns Created by Asymmetric Electrode Configuration

LOUSTE, CHRISTOPHE; ROMAT, HUBERT; TRAORE, PHILIPPE; DAABOUL, MICHEL; VAZQUEZ, PEDRO; SOSA, ROBERTO

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS

IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC

Año: 2018 vol. 54 p. 4851 - 4856

0093-9994

This paper is an experimental study on electroconvective flows produced by an asymmetric electric field in a cavity. It is part of a scientific project aiming to develop electrohydrodynamic (EHD) flow actuator in order to enhance heat transfer and mixing efficiency in fluidic and microfluidic systems. In this study, the EHD flow is obtained by applying a dc voltage between two electrodes (cylinder/plane) immersed in a working liquid. The produced velocity fields strongly depend on the applied voltage. Whatever may be the applied voltage, the fluid goes from the cylinder toward the plate or the other way round. The velocity fields obtained by particle image velocimetry for different potentials are analyzed in both cases with the usual mechanisms (injection and conduction) at the origin of the motion of the liquid. A discussion on the transition between injection and conduction phenomena is finally presented.