Highly Viscous Microjet Generator

Abstract

This paper describes a simple yet novel system for generating a highly viscous microjet. The jet is produced inside a wettable thin tube partially submerged in a liquid. The gas-liquid interface inside the tube, which is initially concave, is kept much deeper than that outside the tube. An impulsive force applied at the bottom of a liquid container leads to significant acceleration of the liquid inside the tube followed by flow-focusing due to the concave interface. The jet generation process can be divided into two parts that occur in different time scales, i.e. the Impact time (impact duration $\le O(10^{-4})$ s) and Focusing time (focusing duration $\gg O(10^{-4})$ s). In Impact time, the liquid accelerates suddenly due to the impact. In Focusing time, the microjet emerges due to flow-focusing. In order to explain the sudden acceleration inside the tube in Impact time, we develop a physical model based on a pressure impulse approach. Numerical simulations confirm the proposed model, indicating that the basic mechanism of the acceleration of the liquid due to the impulsive force is elucidated. Remarkably, the viscous effect is negligible in Impact time. In contrast, in Focusing time, the viscosity plays an important role in the microjet generation. We experimentally and numerically investigate the velocity of microjets with various viscosities. We find that higher viscosities lead to reduction of the jet velocity, which can be described by using Reynolds number (the ratio between the inertia force and the viscous force). This novel device may be a starting point for next-generation technologies, such as high-viscosity inkjet printers including bioprinters and needle-free injection devices for minimally invasive medical treatments.