2.3. Numerical Model
The model of the final design, created in SolidWorks (SolidWorks Corp., USA), was imported into COMSOL Multiphysics (COMSOL Inc., Sweden) for three-dimensional simulations. Generally, the design consisted of four traps connected through the inlet and outlet reservoirs, where the cathode and anode electrodes were inserted.
The electric current and laminar flow modules in COMSOL were applied for electric and flow field simulation in the device, respectively. Using the electric current simulation, we determined the required total electric current at the electrodes in the quadruple-fish device so that each fish was exposed to the electric current of 3 µA, consistent with our previous single-fish device[16]. The electric field within a conductive media was modeled by solving Ohm’s law equation using the steady-state DC electric module. Flow field simulation with the relevant boundary, material and initial conditions was also used to understand the fluid behavior and its correlation with the experiment in terms of flow patterns and fish loading sequence in the traps. Mesh independency was checked for both electric and flow simulations to ensure accuracy.