Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A liquid film motor

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Microfluidics and Nanofluidics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is well known that electro-hydrodynamical effects in freely suspended liquid films can force liquids to flow. Here, we report a purely electrically driven rotation in water and some other liquid suspended films with full control on the velocity and the chirality of the rotating vortices. The device, which is called “film motor”, consists of a quasi two-dimensional electrolysis cell in an external in-plane electric field, crossing the mean electrolysis current density. If either the external field or the electrolysis voltage exceeds some threshold (while the other does not vanish), the liquid film begins to rotate. The device works perfectly with both DC and AC fields.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Khayat RE, Kim KT (2006) Thin-film flow of a viscoelastic fluid on an axisymmetric substrate of arbitrary shape. J Fluid Mech 552:37

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Valentino JP, Troian SM, Wagner S (2005) Microfluidic detection and analysis by integration of thermocapillary actuation with a thin-film optical waveguide. Appl Phys Lett 86:18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson P (2003) Biological physics: energy, information, life. W. H. Freeman, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones RAL (2002) Soft condensed matter. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernard D, Boffetta G, Celani A, Falkovich G (2006) Conformal invariance in two-dimensional turbulence. Nat Phys 2:124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Gennes PG, Prost J (1995) The physics of liquid crystals. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandrasekhar S (1992) Liquid crystals. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Sonin AA (1998) Freely suspended liquid crystalline films. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Faetti S, Fronzoni L, Rolla PA (1983a) Static and dynamic behavior of the vortex—electrohydrodynamic instability in freely suspended layers of nematic liquid crystals. J Chem Phys 79:5054

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faetti S, Fronzoni L, Rolla PA (1983b) Electrohydrodynamic domain patterns in freely suspended layers of nematic liquid crystals with negative dielectric anisotropy. J Chem Phys 79:1427

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris SW, de Bruyn JR, May AD (1990) Electroconvection and pattern formation in a suspended smectic film. Phys Rev Lett 65:2378

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daya ZA, Morris SW, de Bruyn JR (1997) Electroconvection in a suspended fluid film: a linear stability analysis. Phys Rev E 55: 2682

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramos A, Morgan H, Green NG, Castellanos A (1998) Ac electrokinetics: a review of forces in microelectrode structures. J Phys D Appl Phys 31(18):2338–2353

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Squires TM, Quake SR (2005) Microfluidics: fluid physics at the nanoliter scale. Rev Mod Phys 77:977

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiragwandi ZG, Nur O, Willander M, Panas I (2005) Vortex rings in pure water under static external electric field. Appl Phys Lett 87:153109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melcher JR, Taylor GI (1969) Electrohydrodynamics: a review of the role of interfacial shear stresses. Annu Rev Fluid Mech 1:111

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. N. Hamedani Radja

    Present address: Instituut-Lorentz, Universiteit Leiden, Postbus 9506, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Sharif University of Technology, P.O. Box 11365-9161, Tehran, Iran

    A. Amjadi, R. Shirsavar & M. R. Ejtehadi

  2. Institute for Studies in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics, P.O. Box 19395-5531, Tehran, Iran

    N. Hamedani Radja

Authors
  1. A. Amjadi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. Shirsavar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. N. Hamedani Radja
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. R. Ejtehadi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. R. Ejtehadi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Amjadi, A., Shirsavar, R., Radja, N.H. et al. A liquid film motor. Microfluid Nanofluid 6, 711–715 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-008-0349-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-008-0349-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation