Electrohydrodynamic Flow in Optoelectrostatic Micropump: Experiment Versus Numerical Simulation

This paper deals with optoelectrostatic pumping of conductive liquids in microchannels. In this technique, the fluid is heated by laser irradiation and exposed to an external ac electric field. If the fluid permittivity and conductivity vary with temperature, the electric body force is generated, and pumping effect can be achieved. A numerical model of this phenomenon is presented, and it is based on the finite-element analysis of the electric, thermal, and flow fields. The numerical predictions are compared with the experimental data, with a reasonable qualitative agreement.