Applications of microfluidics: Electronics cooling and prevention of infection

A number of numerical studies of microfluidics are performed, encompassing two applications device-level cooling of electronics and impingement as a means to prevent and hasten the termination of infection in wounds. A study is undertaken to examine the viability of using environmentally-friendly dielectric fluids in microchannel heat sinks. It is found that the thermal properties of the fluid can be significantly enhanced by the Brownian motion of loaded nanoparticles, though this enhancement still falls short of water's thermal capacity. Additionally, an efficient, highly-accurate numerical model of a device and heat sink capable of studying complex transient power maps is developed, the first of its kind. A number of interesting behaviors previously unknown are observed in this model. These behaviors led to the development of thermal design criteria that enable extraordinary performance of devices cooled by microchannel heat sinks, simultaneously increasing power capability and thermal performance. It is found that a device that typically operates at 76W can be safely operated at 271W utilizing these criteria. Finally, microfluidic jet impingement is investigated as a means to prevent and remove bacterial biofilms from wounds. To that end, a parametric study of impingement upon irregular surfaces is performed, enabling detailed study of stress distributions of these surfaces and quantification of future experimental results, as well as facilitating further design of an impingement array to be embedded into a next-generation bandage.