Patent ID: 9259693
Filing Date: 2016-02-16
CPC Classification: B01F,B81B,Y10S

Claim Text:
1. A fluid mixing method, comprising: providing a micromixing apparatus comprising a mixing microchannel having a channel length and a continuously variable channel width along said channel length defined by a first sidewall surface and an opposing second sidewall surface, wherein said first sidewall surface includes a plurality of first curved surface portions and said second sidewall surface includes a plurality of second curved surface portions, said plurality of first curved surface portions and said plurality of second curved surface portions non-overlapping by being offset with respect to one another along said channel length to provide said continuously variable channel width, and wherein said continuously variable channel width continuously varies from a minimum channel width h to a maximum channel width H in a ratio of H:h≧1.1:1.0; flowing a first and a second fluid into said mixing microchannel, wherein said first and said second fluid flow in a flow direction in said mixing microchannel along said channel length, and passively varying a flow velocity profile of said first and said second fluid along said channel length of said mixing microchannel, wherein said continuously variable channel width exclusively controls said flow velocity profile.