A new formulation for numerical simulation of electrophoresis separation processes

A new numerical simulation model for electrophoresis separation phenomena is presented. The proposed model employs a Petrov-Galerkin scheme to solve for the concentrations, the electric potential and its gradient via a mixed finite element formulation. This formulation does not involve any restrictions on the electric current density or the finite element mesh. The scheme is stable, accurate, and can be applied to intricate geometries in higher space dimensions without loss of generality. Moreover this formulation avoids the usage of higher order elements which can be expensive. Example simulations are performed in one and two space dimensions. The one-dimensional results closely agree with those from past publications. The success of the simulations in two dimensions indicates the potential of the scheme to address design strategies in practical separation techniques.