Numerical Simulation of Thermocapillary Pumping Using the Volume of Fluid Method

This report provides an initial study in thermocapillary induced flow in a microchannel through a two-dimensional volume of fluid model. A non-mechanical pumping mechanism, thermocapillary pumping (TCP), for moving a nL-sized drop within the channel is described. In TCP, one end of the drop is heated to create a surface tension difference between the ends of the drop resulting in drop motion. This numerical study assumes a constant motion of a liquid drop with constant contact angle. By inducing a strong temperature gradient of 50° C between the left end surface of the liquid drop and the channel walls, the drop attains continuous motion along the entire microchanel length. This motion results from varying surface tension forces acting at the two extreme ends of the liquid drop. © 2006 Oklahoma Academy of Science