University at Buffalo (UB)
Development of Y-channel for Continuous Dielectrophoretic Separations
Students will design and fabricate a Y-channel microfluidic device that will be used to continuously separate solutions.
Project description
The student will work to design and fabricate a Y-channel microfluidic device that will be used to continuously separate solutions. The student will utilize their fluid mechanics knowledge to calculate the hydraulic resistance of each branch of the channel and then design a microfluidic chip which balances the resistance to control the flow rate in each arm of the channel. Student will then fabricate and test their device, refining the design to determine the errors in their model.
The student will then present this work at a conference in the Fall of 2024 and write a manuscript on the influence of device design on separations efficiency. In both cases, the student will develop the manuscript and presentation with the help and supervision of myself and the PhD student working on the project.
Project outcome
Student will learn microfabrication techniques which are in high demand for potential graduate students as well as experimental design and both oral and written scientific communication. Additionally, the student will learn about small-scale fluid mechanics and the thermodynamics of electric fields interacting with fluids. As with all of my students, my mentoring will include career planning and mentoring on the unwritten rules of academia.
Project details
| Length of commitment | Longer than a semester; 6-9 months |
| Start time | Summer (May/June) |
| In-person, remote, or hybrid? | In-Person Project |
| Level of collaboration | Small group project (2-3 students) |
| Benefits | Stipend |
| Who is eligible | All undergraduate students who have experience in a laboratory is required and having taken a class with Fluid Mechanics content is preferred. |
Project mentor
Craig Snoeyink
Assistant Professor
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Phone: (716) 645-1468
Email: craigsno@buffalo.edu
Start the project
- Email the project mentor using the contact information above to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (Here are helpful tips on how to contact a project mentor.)
- After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about ELN's digital badge options.)
Preparation activities
Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase.
Students will read and familiarize themselves with the laboratories current literature on this project:
1. Anand, G. et al. A simple electrode insulation and channel fabrication technique for high-electric field microfluidics. J. Micromech. Microeng. 33, 125002 (2023).
2. Anand, G., Safaripour, S. & Snoeyink, C. Anomalous, dielectrophoretic transport of molecules in non-electrolytes. Journal of Separation Science 47, 2300719 (2024).
3. Anand, G., Safaripour, S. & Snoeyink, C. Dielectric polarization-based separations in an ionic solution. RSC Adv. 13, 22185–22192 (2023).
Keywords
Mircofluidics, Mechanical, Aerospace, Engineering