Low Reynolds Number Flow in Spiral Microchannels

Abstract

We study the creeping flow of an incompressible fluid in spiral microchannels such as that used in DNA identifying “lab-on-a-chip” installations. The equations of motion for incompressible, time-independent flow are developed in a three-dimensional orthogonal curvilinear spiral coordinate system where two of the dimensions are orthogonal spirals. The small size of the channels results in a low Reynolds number flow in the system, which reduces the Navier–Stokes set of equations to the Stokes equations for creeping flow. We obtain analytical solutions of the Stokes equations that calculate velocity profiles and pressure drop in several practical configurations of channels. Both pressure and velocity have exponential dependence on the expansion/contraction parameter and on the streamwise position along the channel. In both expanding and converging channels, the pressure drop is increased when the expansion/contraction parameter k and/or the curvature is increased.