Time- and Frequency- Domain Analysis of Transient Electroosmotic Flow Induced by Sinusoidal AC Electric Field in a Curved Microtube

A backwards-Euler time-stepping numerical method is applied to simulate the transient response of electroosmotic flow in a curved microtube. The velocity responses of the flow fields induced by applied sinusoidal AC electric fields of different frequencies are investigated. The transient response of the system is fundamentally important since both the amplitude and the time duration of the transient response must be maintained within tolerable or prescribed limits. When a sinusoidal AC electric field is applied, the transient response of the output velocity oscillates in the time-domain. However, after a certain settling time, the output velocity attains a sustained oscillation with the same amplitude as the driving field. In this study, the transient response of the electroosmotic flow is characterized by the time taken by the velocity response to reach the first peak, the peak of the sustained oscillation, the maximum overshoot, the settling time, and the bandwidth of the sustained oscillations in the time-domain. Meanwhile, the performance of the system is identified by plotting the output velocity response and the output velocity phase-shift against the frequency of the applied signal. A finite time is required for the momentum to diffuse fully from the walls to the center of the curved microtube cross-section. As the applied frequency is increased, the maximum overshoot and the bandwidth and peak of the sustained oscillations gradually decrease since insufficient time exists for the momentum to diffuse fully to the center of the microtube. Additionally, the phase-shift between the applied electric field and the output velocity response gradually increases as the frequency of the applied signal is increased.