Optimal design of passive Tesla micromixers for enhanced mixing and gradient performance in multiphase material forming

Abstract

The rapid development of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has led to the increasing demand for micromixers capable of fabricating functionally graded materials. To simultaneously achieve gradient generation and uniform mixing in blending processes, this study proposes a novel passive Tesla-type micromixer specifically designed to efficiently mix Fe3O4 particles with epoxy resin E51 and deliver a pronounced outlet gradient response. This research employs ANSYS-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations for optimization, innovatively defining parameters such as ηoutlet and δ to comprehensively evaluate mixing performance and gradient characteristics. By introducing the orthogonal experimental methodology, five key variables are investigated through simulations: number of Tesla valves, straight-tube length, difference between inner and outer radii of curved sections, lateral valve offset distance, and distribution of forward Tesla valves. The results show that the optimal valve configuration is three Tesla valves, 2.4 mm straight-tube length, 0.3 mm radius difference in curved sections, zero lateral offset, and complete exclusion of forward Tesla valves. This study provides subsequent research with novel structures, innovative optimization approaches, and standardizes evaluation systems. Furthermore, it promotes practical industrial applications, particularly in portable medical devices and fluid processing under microgravity space environments.