Thermal characterization of an ionic polymer actuator for microfluidic control

Microfluidic flow control devices have been being developed for a variety of applications. While much research in the past has been geared toward the design of microvalves, a majority of these valves have been designed for applications requiring low flow rate and pressures. In this work, a microfluidic control device is proposed that uses an electroactive polymer for actuation. This design has potential to control temperature sensitive particle-laden liquids.;This paper discusses the basic transport mechanisms involved that govern the thermal processes occurring during ionic polymer actuation. A multiphysics numerical model was created that describes the thermal behavior of an ionic polymer under DC actuation conditions. In addition, experimental results of a scaled-up mesoscopic fluidic control design was studied that gives insight as to the thermal characteristics of IPMC actuation.;The results of the numerical model show good agreement with the data obtained in the empirical work. The data clearly shows that there is a reduction in heat generation of this material when compared to the previously proposed actuation modalities.