Review
Energy & Fuels
Saeed Mozaffari, Homa Ghasemi, Plamen Tchoukov, Jan Czarnecki, Neda Nazemifard
Summary: Microfluidic technology has made significant progress in studying the behavior of asphaltenes in heavy oil and water/crude oil emulsions. Furthermore, this technology also contributes to understanding the rheological properties of heavy oil in micro and nano scales.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mazher Iqbal Mohammed
Summary: A microfluidic system achieves miniaturization without extra equipment and can be widely applied to diagnostics, bringing chip-based devices closer to mainstream commercial reality.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Jens Ducree
Summary: Non-genuine medical products, including diagnostic devices, have become a lucrative business for fraudsters, causing significant damage to revenues and reputation of companies, as well as posing a significant risk to the health of people and societies.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS A-PHYSICAL
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Theory & Methods
Xing Huang, Tsung-Yi Ho, Wenzhong Guo, Bing Li, Krishnendu Chakrabarty, Ulf Schlichtmann
Summary: Flow-based microfluidic biochips are increasingly utilized in biology and biochemistry for laboratory procedures, with advancements in manufacturing technology allowing for integration of thousands of microvalves into a small platform. Computer-aided design (CAD) in the past decade has attracted research interest for automation of biochip design, enabling designers to explore new chip architectures and simplify complex tasks. Key trends and directions for future research focus on maximizing the potential of microfluidics to advance the industry.
ACM COMPUTING SURVEYS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Jia Wang, Shengli Pu, Zijian Hao, Chencheng Zhang, Weinan Liu, Yuanyuan Fan
Summary: A reflective vector magnetic field sensor with a wedge-shaped fiber tip based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and magnetic fluid (MF) has been fabricated and studied. The wedge-shaped fiber tip, obtained by grinding and polishing multimode fiber (MMF) and few-mode fiber (FMF), was plated with a nanoscale gold film to excite SPR. The fabricated tip was immersed in MF as the magnetic field sensitive material. Experimental results demonstrate that the magnetic field intensity and direction sensitivities of the sensors based on MMF and FMF are 2317 pm/mT, 497 pm/degrees and 6776 pm/mT, 2313 pm/degrees, respectively, indicating great potential of the proposed sensor for lab-on-fiber devices and applications.
Article
Mechanics
H. Otto, C. Cierpka
Summary: This study investigates experimental convective flows in vertically stratified environments to complement theoretical studies and reveals fundamental physical mechanisms in stratified vertical convection.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Sujit S. Datta, Ilenia Battiato, Martin A. Ferno, Ruben Juanes, Shima Parsa, Valentina Prigiobbe, Enric Santanach-Carreras, Wen Song, Sibani Lisa Biswal, David Sinton
Summary: Transitioning to a sustainable future requires a transformation of energy and environmental technologies. Lab-on-a-chip (LoC) systems can contribute to this transition by studying and developing new processes and materials in areas such as carbon sequestration, hydrogen storage, geothermal energy extraction, bioenergy, critical materials recovery, and water filtration. It is important to engage the LoC community and raise awareness among researchers, industry experts, and policy makers about the potential of LoC approaches in achieving a low-carbon future.
Review
Biophysics
Vahid Kordzadeh-Kermani, Masoud Madadelahi, Seyed Nezameddin Ashrafizadeh, Lawrence Kulinsky, Sergio O. Martinez-Chapa, Marc J. Madou
Summary: This review introduces the on-board power supply and electrokinetic applications of electrified-LOD (eLOD) devices. By utilizing electrokinetic phenomena, different microfluids can be propelled, separated, and manipulated. While extensive research exists on stationary platforms, the applications on rotating platforms are still underdeveloped.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Hardware & Architecture
Xing Huang, Youlin Pan, Zhen Chen, Wenzhong Guo, Lu Wang, Qingshan Li, Robert Wille, Tsung-Yi Ho, Ulf Schlichtmann
Summary: Due to the complexity of chip architecture and assay protocol, traditional methods for designing continuous-flow microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems have serious gaps between different steps, leading to design failure. This article proposes a novel "one-pass design paradigm" that integrates all design steps seamlessly, eliminating the gaps and generating optimized biochip architectures without the need for design adjustments and modifications. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed automation flows.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN OF INTEGRATED CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS
(2023)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jens Ducree
Summary: This review discusses the challenges and current trends in larger-scale integration of microfluidic systems, highlighting the advantages of centrifugal systems for sample preparation. It also introduces a method using simulation tools for virtual prototyping and design optimization.
MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Mechanics
Eric L. Newland, Andrew W. Woods
Summary: This study investigates the behavior of particle-laden turbulent fountains in a uniform horizontal crossflow through experiments. The dynamics of the particle fountains are characterized by the ratio of the crossflow speed to the characteristic fountain speed and the ratio of the Stokes fall speed of particles to the characteristic fountain speed. Three distinct regimes of particle fountain dynamics are identified. In regime I, when the fall speed of particles is much smaller than the characteristic fountain speed, the particles remain well-coupled to the fountain fluid and the flow behaves as a single-phase fountain in the crossflow.
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiangling Li, Kang Xiao, Ruifeng Wang, Xianbing Li
Summary: Gas injection is an effective method for enhancing oil recovery in low-permeability and tight reservoirs, with the presence of fractures affecting its performance. This study conducted microfluidic experiments using micromodels simulating fractured reservoirs and evaluated the oil displacement effects of different gas injection methods. The simultaneous injection of gas and water showed the highest enhanced oil recovery effect among the tested methods.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sida Li, Yan Zheng, Jintao Meng, Mengyi Liao, Zhimei Huang, Liangyi Zhou, Jingwei Xiang, Yi-Chun Lu, Jinqiao Du, Lixia Yuan, Yunhui Huang, Yue Shen
Summary: Self-stratified battery, a new type of rechargeable battery, has shown great potential for large-scale energy storage. It possesses a thermodynamically stable membrane-free self-stratified architecture, resulting in low cost, high cycling stability, and excellent safety.
ENERGY STORAGE MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Enbin Liu, Dingchao Tian, Wensheng Li, Junliang Chen, Qikun Chen
Summary: The study shows that gas velocity, particle size, and sand mass flow all have an impact on the erosion of the vertical separator and particle motion. The maximum erosion rate is 520 μm/a under the conditions of 6 kg/d sand input, and the erosion rate of the inlet baffle is proportional to the sand flow rate and geometrically related to the gas velocity; the separation efficiency decreases with the increase of particle size and speed.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Duy Khang Dang, Biao Zhou
Summary: Liquid water management is crucial for the performance and durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Nature-inspired leaf-like designs with branching configurations show more efficient water management and better fuel cell performance. Studying air-liquid water transport phenomena in biomimetic flow field designs can provide insights for improving flow field designs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhenyu Wang, Xuting Xia, Meng Zhu, Xingle Zhang, Rui Liu, Jun Ren, Junyi Yang, Ming Li, Jing Jiang, Yu Liu
Summary: A one-step dual-material 3D printing technique was developed to assemble liquid metal (LM) into an elastomer lattice, resulting in composites with high electrical conductivity, stretchability, and EMI shielding effectiveness. Unlike other composites, LM/elastomer lattice composites show minimal electromechanical coupling at high tensile strains, strain-invariant EMI shielding performance, and exceptional stability over 1000 stretching and releasing cycles.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Dongya Li, Yang Zhang, Yu Liu, Francesco Regi, Mads Emil Brix Doest, Guido Tosello
Summary: This paper presents a process chain of injection moulding of microstructures for mass production of plastic parts with optically functional surfaces. The microstructures of orthogonally textured modules were fabricated using micro milling on the tool surfaces and replicated to the plastic components through micro injection moulding. The contrast between the modules was quantified and optimized for the maximum contrast on the surfaces of the tools and replicas.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Songlin Yu, Haiyang Chai, Yuqi Xiong, Ming Kang, Chengzhen Geng, Yu Liu, Yanqiu Chen, Yaling Zhang, Qian Zhang, Changlin Li, Hao Wei, Yuhang Zhao, Fengmei Yu, Ai Lu
Summary: Deep-learning methods have shown promise in dealing with complex structure-performance relationships for materials. This study demonstrates the importance of constructing accurate descriptors when training deep-learning models on small experimental datasets. The proposed approach, using a convolutional bidirectional long short-term memory model, shows potential as a powerful tool for innovative material design and exploring material properties under complex conditions.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Haohao Ji, Hetuo Chen, Buhao Zhang, Xiaojian Mao, Yu Liu, Jian Zhang, Shiwei Wang
Summary: In this study, transparent AlON ceramics were successfully fabricated using the direct ink writing method from water-based ceramic slurry. By optimizing the solids loading and adjusting the printability and water content, high optical and mechanical properties were achieved. The effects of sintering temperature and dwell time on the ceramics' properties were systematically studied.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Yang Zhang, Shuo Shan, Flavia D. Frumosu, Matteo Calaon, Wenzhen Yang, Yu Liu, Hans N. Hansen
Summary: An in-process monitoring procedure based on computer vision inspection and deep learning is proposed for quality monitoring in soft tooling injection moulding. The proposed method can detect multiple types of injection moulding defects and measure the geometrical dimensions of the part simultaneously while quantifying the uncertainty.
CIRP ANNALS-MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Dongya Li, Haodong Hong, Xinhu Sun, Yang Zhang, Yu Liu
Summary: Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing is an effective method for high-resolution two-dimensional patterning. The latest research focuses on 3D structure fabrication of various materials. Traditional EHD 3D printing of polymers faces challenges in filament deposition and stacking accuracy. This study develops an external field-assisted EHD printing process for polymer materials, achieving high aspect ratios for micro-scale 3D structures.
JOURNAL OF MICROMECHANICS AND MICROENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Dongya Li, Yang Zhang, Guido Tosello, Xinquan Zhang, Dennis Neo, Yu Liu
Summary: This paper demonstrates a voxel-based method to pattern consistently oriented microstructures onto 3D surfaces. The feasibility of the method is validated and an optimization routine is determined. Moreover, the method is proved suitable for batch production of 3D functional surfaces by micro injection moulding through over 15,000 injection moulding cycles.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Junzhe Zhu, Zhenpeng Guo, Yufan Zhou, Xiucheng Zou, Ye Zhu, Yu Liu, Ren Liu
Summary: Light-driven 3D printing allows for more creative freedom and concrete realization of original creations in various conditions with options for resolution and properties. By optimizing the chemistry, rapid direct ink writing is achieved by utilizing up-conversion assisted photopolymerization. This strategy accelerates the polymerization process by maximizing the active species generated during limited irradiation. High print speed and shorter manufacturing time are achieved through multi-resolution printing, making this technique compatible with both rigid and elastomeric materials.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lisen Zhou, Dongya Li, Chonghai Xu, Zhaoxing Zheng, Yu Liu
Summary: This study investigates the laser lap welding technology of heterogeneous materials and a laser post-heat treatment method to enhance welding performance. The temperature and stress fields, microstructure, element distribution, and microhardness of the welded joints were studied. The results showed that laser post-heat treatment can reduce residual equivalent stress and improve mechanical and sealing properties. The press-off force increased from 9640 N to 10046 N and the helium leakage rate decreased from 3.34 x 10(-4) to 3.96 x 10(-6).
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yankun Li, Yuyang Lu, Dongya Li, Minning Zhou, Chonghai Xu, Xiaozhi Gao, Yu Liu
Summary: Using a five-order B-spline interpolation ensures smooth and continuous acceleration for trajectory optimization of robotic arms. However, the algorithm suffers from performance issues, resulting in low solution accuracy and slow convergence speed. To overcome these issues, an improved chicken swarm algorithm called PDCSO is proposed, which incorporates parallel strategy and dynamic constraints. Simulation experiments and tests validate that PDCSO outperforms other algorithms in terms of convergence speed, solution accuracy, and stability, reducing running time and improving execution efficiency of robotic arms.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Shuai Peng, Jiawen Xu, Dongya Li, Jun Ren, Meng Zhang, Xiaolong Wang, Yu Liu
Summary: Traditional methods of processing complex optical lenses are expensive and labor-intensive. This study introduces tomographic volumetric printing (TVP) to achieve integrated printing of complex structural models without layering, resulting in ultra-fast fabrication of complex-shaped lenses with sub-nanometric roughness. This new technology shows potential for rapid fabrication of ultra-smooth complex optical devices or systems.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXTREME MANUFACTURING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Erwei Shang, Guodong Li, Zilong Zhao, Nana Zhang, Daming Fan, Yu Liu
Summary: In this study, an infrared laser-assisted direct ink writing (DIW) process was developed to achieve in situ preheating and curing of PDMS materials, improving the strength of PDMS filaments and enabling the production of large-span spatial structures with high-fidelity morphology. Experimental results on single silicone filaments, silicone foams, and complex 3D features demonstrated the method's practicality in fabricating high-fidelity complex structures, which will broaden the 3D printing capabilities of silicone in the development of flexible electronics and soft robots.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jiawen Xu, Haodong Hong, Zhenyu Wang, Xinhu Sun, Yen Wei, Yu Liu
Summary: This study presents a facile approach for manufacturing microfluidic devices by combining microscale electrohydrodynamic printing and mesoscale direct ink writing. The method allows for continuous printing of multiscale filament width and has been proven to be stable and feasible through various tests.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRECISION ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING-GREEN TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xinghao Zhang, Jiawen Xu, Xiaomei Zhang, Guojie Chao, Qixin Cao, Tianxi Liu, Yu Liu
Summary: A bottom-up foaming-combined coaxial extrusion method is developed for the fabrication of liquid metal/PDMS core-shell porous fibrous TENG. The t-TENGs show improved electrical outputs and mechanical performances, and can power miniature electronics sustainably.
ADVANCED FIBER MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Jun Ren, Dongya Li, Yang Zhang, Wenzhen Yang, Heng-yong Nie, Yu Liu
Summary: This paper presents a laser-induced selective activation (LISA) process for creating complex conductive patterns on polyimide substrates. The LISA process enhances the stability of plated metallic structures and exhibits superior mechanical stability and high resolution.
ACS APPLIED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS
(2022)
