Numerical Study on Liquid Crystalline Actuators Using Back-Flow Effect

Abstract:

As a purpose of developing micro-actuators driven by liquid crystals, transient behaviors of a nematic liquid crystal between two parallel plates under an electric field have investigated numerically by using the Leslie-Ericksen theory. Twist angle has been selected as computational parameters. Imposition of an electric field on a liquid crystal induces backflow whose profile and magnitude depend strongly on the twist angle of the director. When the twist angle is 0 degree, the induced flow is planar, and with increasing of the twist angle, the flow has an out of plane component, and finally the profile becomes unidirectional when the twist angle reaches 180 degrees.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 211-212)
• Pages: 430-433
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.211-212.430
• Online since: February 2011
• Authors: Chun Bo Liu, Long Wang Yue, Xiao Xia Liu
• Keywords: Backflow Effect, Leslie-Ericksen Theory, Liquid Crystal, Micro-Actuator

References

[1] Moritz Holtappels, Marco Stubbe and Jan Gimsa : ac-field-induced fluid pumping in microsystems with asymmetric temperature gradients , Phys. Rev. E 79, 026309 (2009).

DOI: 10.1103/physreve.79.026309

[2] Vahid Bazargan and Boris Stoeber, Moving temporary wall in microfluidic devices, Phys. Rev. E 78, 066303 (2008).

DOI: 10.1103/physreve.78.066303

[3] Mengying Zhang, Jinbo Wu, Xize Niu, Weijia Wen, and Ping Sheng, Manipulations of micro fluidic droplets using electrorheological carrier fluid, Phys. Rev. E 78, 066305 (2008).

DOI: 10.1103/physreve.78.066305

[4] de Ge nnes, P. G. and Prost, J. The physics of liquid crystals, 2nd ed. Oxfor Clarendon Press. (1993).

[5] S. Chandrasekhar, Liquid Crystals (second edition). Cambridge University Press. (1992).