Flow control of EHD fluids generated by SDBI actuators under square wave voltages

The current research trend in the field of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pumping is to find efficient control methods based on environmentally friendly fluids, which includes but is not limited to driving force strength, flow rate and control capability. In this study, we focus on exploring the ability of surface dielectric barrier injection (SDBI) actuators to control silicone oil jets under square wave signals. The 2D-PIV technique as well as the phase analysis method are applied to the flow fields produced by various SDBI actuators. By modifying previous actuators with polarity-dependent bi-directional jets, we have managed to design two additional types of actuators. The results show that they are suitable for small range of fixed-point impingement and large range of convective mixing, respectively.