CFD (computational fluid dynamics) simulations use numerical analysis and data structures to solve and study fluidic problems. The challenge of performing “numerical experiments” helps experimental works, providing qualitative and quantitative solutions. This is useful to optimize and analyse virtually geometries and physics of systems when these are difficult to obtain in a real environment. In the field of microfluidics, the support and the validation of experimental data, by numerical modelling, is becoming a point of strength.  In our group, we use FVM (Finite Volume Methods) and FEM (Finite Element Methods) simulations with commercial codes (as ANSYS Fluent or COMSOL), to obtain customized, optimized and achievable microfluidic devices. We are now focusing in two different topics:

• Microfluidic devices for size exclusion filtering of particles.
• Acoustophoresis for particles separation.

Figura 1. Panel (a) Velocity contour plot of a size exclusion filter. (b) Pressure contour filed at symmetric plane of a Tesla valve. (c) Velocity vectors of a size exclusion filter.