Fluid viscoelasticity controls acoustic streaming via shear waves

Abstract

Control of acoustic streaming can significantly impact fluid and particle transport in microfluidics. We report enhancement, suppression, and reversal of acoustic streaming inside a rectangular microchannel by controlling the fluid viscoelastic properties. Our study reveals that the streaming regimes depend on Deborah number ($De$) and viscous diffusion number ($Dv$), expressed in terms of a Streaming Coefficient ($C_s$). We find streaming is enhanced when $C_s>1$, suppressed for $0\leq C_s\leq1$, and reversed when $C_s<0$. We explain the regimes in terms of the interplay between the Reynolds and viscoelastic stresses that collectively drive fluid motion. Remarkably, we discover the role of viscoelastic shear waves in acoustic streaming transition characterized by the ratio of acoustic attenuation length and shear wavelength. We gain deeper insight into the streaming transition by examining energy dynamics in terms of the loss and storage moduli. Our study may find applications in acousto-microfluidics systems for particle handling and fluid pumping/mixing.