The Influence of Groove Size and Orientation in Enhancing Mixing Efficiency in T-Shaped Micromixers

Micromixers are widely used in various industries, including pharmaceuticals, chemical processing, and biochemical analysis, due to their ability to efficiently mix small volumes of fluids. Among different micromixer designs, the Tshaped micromixer is commonly used for its simple geometry and ease of fabrication. However, its mixing efficiency is often limited by the dominance of laminar flow at low Reynolds numbers, leading to incomplete mixing and high pressure drops. This study investigates the effect of groove modifications on the mixing efficiency of a T-shaped micromixer using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. The influence of groove size and orientation on mixing performance was systematically analyzed. The numerical simulations were performed using a laminar flow model and the SIMPLE algorithm for pressure-velocity coupling. Mesh independence was ensured through four different grid densities, and a fine mesh resolution of <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\mathbf{3 5} \mu \mathrm{m}$</tex> was selected for the simulations. The results demonstrate that incorporating grooves significantly enhances mixing efficiency. Vertical grooves with a crosssectional area ratio (CSAR) of <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\mathbf{1. 5}$</tex> achieved an <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\mathbf{8 0. 1 0 \%}$</tex> mixing efficiency, representing a 24 % improvement over the unmodified design. The variation in groove orientation further influenced flow patterns, with horizontal grooves generally producing a larger mixing region. Overall, the findings indicate that optimizing groove configurations can effectively improve the performance of T-shaped micromixers. This study provides insights into micromixer design enhancements, contributing to their broader application in microfluidic systems.