The Efficiency Of Electrokinetic Energy Conversion In A Rectangular Nanochannel

In this study,the electric potential,velocity,streaming potential and electrokinetic energy conversion efficiency in rigid rectangular nanochannels were studied by using variable separation approach.The analytic expressions for the electric potential、velocity、streaming potential and electrokinetic energy conversion efficiency were obtained through solution of the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation for the electric potential and the Navier-Stokes equation for the velocity field.By means of numerical analysisa and image description,the influences of dimensionless electrokinetic width K,wall Zeta potential C and channel width to height ratio a on both the streaming potential and the electrokinetic energy conversion efficiency were discussed.The results show that the streaming potential exhibits monotonic decreases with K,while the electrokinetic energy conversion efficiency first increases with K for small K values,then decreases with K for large K values,when other parameters are given.In addition,the streaming potential increases with a.The electrokinetic energy conversion efficiency first increases with a for small K values,then decreases with a for large K values.Finally,both the streaming potential and the electrokinetic energy conversion efficiency increase significantly with the wall zeta potential.