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Micromachines
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Complex Fluid Flows in Microfluidics
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Complex Fluid Flows in Microfluidics

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "C1: Micro/Nanoscale Electrokinetics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026 | Viewed by 5592

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Célio Fernandes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Studies of Transport Phenomena (CEFT), Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: polymer processing; viscoelasticity; particle-laden flows; thermo-fluids; computational rheology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is devoted to the intricate world of complex fluid flows in microfluidics, a domain that has revolutionized numerous scientific and engineering fields. Microfluidics, the science and technology of manipulating fluids at the micrometer scale, presents unique challenges and opportunities in understanding and controlling fluid behavior. Complex fluid flows, encompassing non-Newtonian fluids and multiphase flows, are critical to advancing applications in biotechnology, medicine, and chemical engineering. This Special Issue seeks to gather cutting-edge research that explores novel theoretical models, experimental techniques, and computational simulations in order to address the complexities of fluid dynamics in microfluidic systems.

We are delighted to invite you to contribute to our Special Issue on "Complex Fluid Flows in Microfluidics". It aims to showcase the latest research and innovations in understanding and manipulating complex fluid dynamics at the micrometer scale. We welcome original research articles and comprehensive reviews that explore theoretical, experimental, and computational aspects of microfluidic systems. Your contributions will help to elucidate the intricate behaviors of complex fluids and inspire new applications as well as technologies. We look forward to your participation and to sharing the remarkable advancements in microfluidics with the broader scientific community.

Dr. Célio Fernandes
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microfluidics
  • non-Newtonian fluids
  • multiphase flows
  • microfluidic device design
  • computational fluid dynamics
  • flow visualization
  • heat transfer in microfluidics

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 4666 KB  
Article
Numerical Study on Heat Transfer Characteristics of Microchannel with Ferrofluid Under Influence of Magnetic Intensity
by Seong-Guk Hwang, Tai Duc Le and Moo-Yeon Lee
Micromachines 2026, 17(3), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17030383 - 21 Mar 2026
Viewed by 372
Abstract
Effective thermal management is critical for high-power lithium-ion batteries to mitigate excessive heat generation and ensure operational reliability. Failure to maintain a uniform temperature distribution can lead to accelerated capacity fading and severe safety risks, such as thermal runaway. In this study, a [...] Read more.
Effective thermal management is critical for high-power lithium-ion batteries to mitigate excessive heat generation and ensure operational reliability. Failure to maintain a uniform temperature distribution can lead to accelerated capacity fading and severe safety risks, such as thermal runaway. In this study, a ferrofluid-based magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) microchannel cooling system was numerically investigated to elucidate the influence of magnetic intensity, magnet geometry, and electrical boundary conditions on flow behavior and heat transfer performance for battery cooling applications. A fully coupled multiphysics model incorporating electromagnetic, fluid flow, and heat transfer phenomena was developed and validated against experimental and numerical data from the literature. The results show that increasing the applied voltage enhances current density and Lorentz force almost linearly, leading to significant flow acceleration and improved convective heat transfer. Electrical insulation effectively suppresses current leakage into the channel walls, increasing the average current density by up to 222% and the Lorentz force by more than 300%. Compared with a cylindrical magnet, a rectangular magnet provides a more uniform magnetic field distribution and stronger near-wall Lorentz forcing, resulting in superior cooling performance. Under a 4C discharge condition, the insulated rectangular magnet reduces the maximum battery temperature by approximately 30% and increases the average Nusselt number by up to 103% relative to the non-insulated case. The findings reveal the critical roles of magnetic-field-controlled flow symmetry and near-wall forcing in MHD-driven microchannels, and provide practical design guidelines for battery cooling systems with no moving mechanical parts and active electromagnetic flow control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Complex Fluid Flows in Microfluidics)
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21 pages, 38577 KB  
Article
A Novel Variable Volume Capillary Microgripper for Micromanipulation in Aqueous Media
by Enrique Mancha-Sánchez, Andrés J. Serrano-Balbontín, Inés Tejado and Blas M. Vinagre
Micromachines 2025, 16(6), 633; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16060633 - 27 May 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 994
Abstract
This study presents a novel capillary microgripper for manipulating micrometer-sized objects directly within aqueous environments. The system features dynamic, vision-based feedback control of a non-volatile silicone oil droplet volume, enabling precise adjustment of the capillary bridge force for the adaptable capture of varying [...] Read more.
This study presents a novel capillary microgripper for manipulating micrometer-sized objects directly within aqueous environments. The system features dynamic, vision-based feedback control of a non-volatile silicone oil droplet volume, enabling precise adjustment of the capillary bridge force for the adaptable capture of varying object sizes. This approach ensures extended working time and stable operation in water, mitigating the issues associated with evaporation common in other systems. COMSOL Multiphysics simulations analyzed capillary bridge formation. Experimental validation demonstrated successful different object shapes and sizes capture in an aqueous environment and further explored active release strategies necessary due to the non-volatile fluid, confirming the system potential for robust underwater micromanipulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Complex Fluid Flows in Microfluidics)
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21 pages, 5078 KB  
Article
Experimental and Numerical Study of Slug-Flow Velocity Inside Microchannels Through In Situ Optical Monitoring
by Samuele Moscato, Emanuela Cutuli, Massimo Camarda and Maide Bucolo
Micromachines 2025, 16(5), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16050586 - 17 May 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1533
Abstract
Miniaturization and reliable, real-time, non-invasive monitoring are essential for investigating microfluidic processes in Lab-on-a-Chip (LoC) systems. Progress in this field is driven by three complementary approaches: analytical modeling, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, and experimental validation techniques. In this study, we present an [...] Read more.
Miniaturization and reliable, real-time, non-invasive monitoring are essential for investigating microfluidic processes in Lab-on-a-Chip (LoC) systems. Progress in this field is driven by three complementary approaches: analytical modeling, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, and experimental validation techniques. In this study, we present an on-chip experimental method for estimating the slug-flow velocity in microchannels through in situ optical monitoring. Slug flow involving two immiscible fluids was investigated under both liquid–liquid and gas–liquid conditions via an extensive experimental campaign. The measured velocities were used to determine the slug length and key dimensionless parameters, including the Reynolds number and Capillary number. A comparison with analytical models and CFD simulations revealed significant discrepancies, particularly in gas–liquid flows. These differences are mainly attributed to factors such as gas compressibility, pressure fluctuations, the presence of a liquid film, and leakage flows, all of which substantially affect flow dynamics. Notably, the percentage error in liquid–liquid flows was lower than that in gas–liquid flows, largely due to the incompressibility assumption inherent in the model. The high-frequency monitoring capability of the proposed method enables in situ mapping of evolving multiphase structures, offering valuable insights into slug-flow dynamics and transient phenomena that are often difficult to capture using conventional measurement techniques. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Complex Fluid Flows in Microfluidics)
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10 pages, 1280 KB  
Article
Flowing Liquid Crystal Torons Around Obstacles
by Júlio P. A. Santos, Mahmoud Sedahmed, Rodrigo C. V. Coelho and Margarida M. Telo da Gama
Micromachines 2024, 15(11), 1302; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15111302 - 26 Oct 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1810
Abstract
Liquid crystal torons, localized topological structures, are known for their stability and dynamic behaviour in response to external stimuli, making them attractive for advanced material applications. In this study, we investigate the flow of torons in chiral nematic liquid crystals around obstacles. We [...] Read more.
Liquid crystal torons, localized topological structures, are known for their stability and dynamic behaviour in response to external stimuli, making them attractive for advanced material applications. In this study, we investigate the flow of torons in chiral nematic liquid crystals around obstacles. We simulate the fluid flow and director field interactions using a hybrid numerical method combining lattice Boltzmann and finite difference techniques. Our results reveal that the toron dynamical behaviour depends strongly on the impact parameter from the obstacle. At impact parameters smaller than half cholesteric pitch, the flowing toron is destabilized by the interaction with the obstacle; otherwise, the flowing toron follows a trajectory with a deflection which decays exponentially with the impact parameter. Additionally, we explore the scattering of torons by multiple obstacles, providing insights into how the dynamics of these structures respond to complex environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Complex Fluid Flows in Microfluidics)
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