Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

6-2013

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

M. Eng.

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Committee Chair

Williams, Stuart J., 1981-

Subject

Dielectrophoresis; Nanoparticles; Microelectromechanical systems

Abstract

Experimental and numerical modeling studies of particle separation from a gas stream using a dielectric force have shown that dielectrophoresis is an appropriate mechanism for the filtration of a particulate matter from a particle laden gas stream. Dielectrophoresis technology has the ability to produce high filtration efficiency with highly restive particles. This is the first known work producing a device that demonstrates that dielectrophoresis will separate particles from this type of fluidic system. The testing was conducted using frequencies on the order of 60 Hz, 15 kHz, and DC. The voltage ranged from 100V to 300V and the fluid velocity was varied from 1.5 m/s to 3 m/s. The dielectrophoretic separation device was designed to use interdigitated electrodes. Interdigitated electrodes are a well know device that produces dielectrophoresis in other applications [1]. The interdigitated electrodes were designed to be 20µm wide and spaced 20µm apart. The device collected particles under all frequencies, voltages, and fluid velocities; the testing shows that there is an inverse relationship between the fluid velocity and applied voltage, the lower the fluid velocity the higher the voltage; the greater the collection of particles.

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