Optimal Control Algorithm Design for the Microfluidic Channel Network Droplet Generation with Output Feedback Delay

In this paper, the optimal control algorithm design is proposed for droplet generation. In the proposed algorithm, the redundancy in the microfluidic channel network for droplet generation is used to the optimization setting in order to determine volume flow rate of fluid for each input channel; an optimization problem is proposed for minimizing the volume flow rate of fluid such that the droplet formed in the outlet channel is produced at the desired size. Also, due to the importance of estimating the system state, the design of the Luenberger observer (reduced order observer) has been developed. Then, the proposed scheme is robust against output feedback delay with respect to the optimal LQR control structure for tracking the desired value. While designing for the observer and controller sections, the delays in the measurement of the output feedback are considered, and the sustainability analysis for each of the sections has been performed due to the fixed delay in the output feedback. Output feedback is a measurable variable of the input volume flow of each channel. Finally, the optimal control algorithm of droplet generation for a microfluidic structure with a T shape has been stimulated.