https://doi.org/10.1140/epjs/s11734-025-01884-6
Regular Article
Numerical study of particle separation through sequential application of inertial focusing and acoustophoresis in corrugated microchannels
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Government Engineering College, Samastipur, Bihar, India
a
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Received:
18
June
2025
Accepted:
23
August
2025
Published online:
28
October
2025
Abstract
In this investigation, we demonstrate a hybrid microfluidic sorting approach that combines inertial focusing with acoustophoresis for enhanced size-based particle separation. Two-dimensional direct numerical simulations are performed using a corrugated microchannel with protruding acoustic actuators, allowing for the sequential application of inertial and acoustic forces. We examined particle behavior in geometries with varying corrugation numbers (2, 4, and 6) for various Reynolds numbers. It can be observed that inverse corrugations generate differential inertial migration, while strategically positioned interdigital transducers (IDTs) apply acoustophoretic radiation forces. The hybrid scheme demonstrates remarkable separation efficiency (F1 scores > 80%) compared to either mechanism alone, particularly at Re = 64. Particle dynamics reveal distinctive behaviors: 50 μm particles experience substantial inertial lift forces driving them toward equilibrium positions, followed by considerable acoustic forces directing them to outer outlets, while 5 μm particles remain relatively unaffected by these forces, following streamlines to the central outlet. Separation performance remains consistent across varying acoustic pressures (0.3–0.5 MPa) and particle densities (1100–1300 kg/m3).
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
