Experimental Studies of Pressure Drop and Flow Instability in Evaporative Micro-Channels

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hee Joon Lee ◽  
Dongyao Liu ◽  
Shi-Chune Yao
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Bond Number ◽  
Effective Length ◽  
Instability Criterion ◽  
Micro Channel ◽  
Micro Channels ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Channel Systems

Experiments were conducted on evaporative micro-channel systems of water, containing 48 parallel channels of 353 μm hydraulic diameter. The general correlation of two-phase pressure drop for an initial design purpose of evaporative micro-channel systems reported in [1] has been validated. For the water boiling in micro-channels, flow instability was observed. The instability criterion, proposed by Kandlikar [2], is able to predict the water experimental results. However, further examination of his criterion revealed that it can not predict the results of Brutin and Tadrist’s data of n-pentane. This is because the Bond number of water is 0.01, but 0.33 for n-pentane. As a result, the growing bubble of n-pentane may not cover the whole length of the micro-channel. A general expression of the effective length of squeezed bubbles in micro-channel was established for fluids at a wide range of Bond number. Using this proposed effective length, the Brutin and Tadrist’s experimental instability data can also be predicted satisfactorily.

Stability Analysis and Network Design of Evaporative Micro-Channels

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hee Joon Lee ◽  
Shi-Chune Yao
Keyword(s):  
Flow Instability ◽  
Narrow Channel ◽  
Bond Number ◽  
Instability Criterion ◽  
Micro Channel ◽  
Network Systems ◽  
Channel Network ◽  
Micro Channels ◽  
Channel Expansion ◽  
Expanding Channel

During the operation of evaporative micro-channels, flow instability could be encountered. This phenomenon usually occurs when the Bond number of the fluid in the micro-channels is less than unity, so that a growing bubble is severely squeezed in the narrow channel and expands towards both upstream and downstream simultaneously. To reduce the flow instability, installation of an inlet orifice at the upstream, or making the micro-channel expanding at the downstream are found to be effective. An instability model for micro-channels was established, which takes into account the effects of both the inlet orifice and the channel expansion. Experiments of evaporating water micro system of 48 parallel micro-channels with 353 μm hydraulic diameter were conducted. The instability criterion of evaporative micro-channels with the effects of inlet orifice and expanding channel area are validated. Furthermore, to assist the general design of complex micro-channel network systems, a computational scheme is developed.

Generalized Two-Phase Pressure Drop and Heat Transfer Correlations in Evaporative Micro/Mini-Channels

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hee Joon Lee ◽  
Dongyao Liu ◽  
Shi-Chune Yao ◽  
Y. Alyousef
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Bond Number ◽  
Micro Channel ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Working Fluids ◽  
Operational Conditions ◽  
Micro Channels ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Existing Data

Existing data base and correlations in literature on the micro-channel pressure drop and heat transfer are reviewed. None of the existing correlations can cover the wide range of working fluids, operational conditions and different microchannel dimensions. The importance of the Bond number, which relates the nominal bubble dimension or capillary parameter with the channel size, is revealed. Using the Bond number, improved correlations of pressure drop and heat transfer are established. The new correlations predict the existing data well over wide ranges of working fluids, operational conditions and dimensions of micro-channels. Furthermore, Bond number could be used as a criterion to classify a flow path as a micro-channel or conventional macro-channel.

Two-Phase Flow and Heat Transfer in Rectangular Micro-Channels

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weilin Qu ◽  
Seok-Mann Yoon ◽  
Issam Mudawar
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Flow Pattern ◽  
Two Phase Flow ◽  
Flow Patterns ◽  
Heat Sinks ◽  
Phase Flow ◽  
Micro Channel ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Micro Channels

Knowledge of flow pattern and flow pattern transitions is essential to the development of reliable predictive tools for pressure drop and heat transfer in two-phase micro-channel heat sinks. In the present study, experiments were conducted with adiabatic nitrogen-water two-phase flow in a rectangular micro-channel having a 0.406 × 2.032 mm cross-section. Superficial velocities of nitrogen and water ranged from 0.08 to 81.92 m/s and 0.04 to 10.24 m/s, respectively. Flow patterns were first identified using high-speed video imaging, and still photos were then taken for representative patterns. Results reveal that the dominant flow patterns are slug and annular, with bubbly flow occurring only occasionally; stratified and churn flow were never observed. A flow pattern map was constructed and compared with previous maps and predictions of flow pattern transition models. Annual flow is identified as the dominant flow pattern for conditions relevant to two-phase micro-channel heat sinks, and forms the basis for development of a theoretical model for both pressure drop and heat transfer in micro-channels. Features unique to two-phase micro-channel flow, such as laminar liquid and gas flows, smooth liquid-gas interface, and strong entrainment and deposition effects are incorporated into the model. The model shows good agreement with experimental data for water-cooled heat sinks.

Experimental Studies of Adiabatic Flow Boiling in Fractal-Like Branching Micro-Channels

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. Daniels ◽  
James A. Liburdy ◽  
Deborah V. Pence
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Void Fraction ◽  
Flow Boiling ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Channel Length ◽  
Channel Height ◽  
Channel Network ◽  
Adiabatic Flow ◽  
Numerical Predictions ◽  
Micro Channels

Experimental results of adiabatic boiling of water flowing through a fractal-like branching microchannel network are presented and compared to numerical simulations for identical flow conditions. The fractal-like branching channel network had channel length and width ratios between adjacent branching levels of 0.7071, a total flow length of 18 mm, a channel height of 150 μm and a terminal channel width of 100 μm. The channels were DRIE etched into a silicon disk and pyrex was anodically bonded to the silicon to form the channel top and allowed visualization of the flow within the channels. The water flowed from the center of the disk where the inlet was laser cut through the silicon to the periphery of the disc. The flow rates ranged from 100 to 225 g/min and the inlet subcooling levels varied from 0.5 to 6 °C. Pressure drop across the channel as well as void fraction in each branching level were measured for each of the test conditions. The measured pressure drop ranged from 20 to 90 kPa, and the measured void fraction ranged from 0.3 to 0.9. The pressure drop results agree well with the numerical predictions. The measured void fraction results followed the same trends as the numerical results.

scholarly journals Electrokinetics in Micro-channeled Cantilevers: Extending the Toolbox for Reversible Colloidal Probes and AFM-Based Nanofluidics

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Mark ◽  
Nicolas Helfricht ◽  
Astrid Rauh ◽  
Jinqiao Xue ◽  
Patrick Knödler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Essential Element ◽  
The State ◽  
Micro Channel ◽  
Force Measurements ◽  
Ion Conductance ◽  
Nanoparticle Deposition ◽  
Micro Channels ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Colloidal Probes

AbstractThe combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM) with nanofluidics, also referred to as FluidFM, has facilitated new applications in scanning ion conductance microscopy, direct force measurements, lithography, or controlled nanoparticle deposition. An essential element of this new type of AFMs is its cantilever, which bears an internal micro-channel with a defined aperture at the end. Here, we present a new approach for in-situ characterization of the internal micro-channels, which is non-destructive and based on electrochemical methods. It allows for probing the internal environment of a micro-channeled cantilever and the corresponding aperture, respectively. Acquiring the streaming current in the micro-channel allows to determine not only the state of the aperture over a wide range of ionic strengths but also the surface chemistry of the cantilever’s internal channel. The high practical applicability of this method is demonstrated by detecting the aspiration of polymeric, inorganic and hydrogel particles with diameters ranging from several µm down to 300 nm. By verifying in-situ the state of the aperture, i.e. open versus closed, electrophysiological or nano-deposition experiments will be significantly facilitated. Moreover, our approach is of high significance for direct force measurements by the FluidFM-technique and sub-micron colloidal probes.

Flow Boiling of Carbon Dioxide in Horizontal Mini-Channel and Pattern Dynamics Approach to Study Flow Pattern

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mamoru Ozawa
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
High Pressure ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Flow Pattern ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Flow Boiling ◽  
Flow Patterns ◽  
Bond Number ◽  
Pattern Dynamics ◽  
Mini Channels

This paper provides a brief review on experimental and numerical investigations of flow patterns, pressure drop, and heat transfer including critical heat flux (CHF) of flow boiling carbon-dioxide (CO2) at high pressure in mini-channels ranging 0.5mm to 3.0mm in diameter. The flow patterns of CO2 at high pressure with small density difference between vapor and liquid and low surface tension show a slightly different structure from so far observed in mini-channels with air and water. The phase mal-distribution, similar to conventional tubes, in the cross-section becomes rather significant beyond the critical Bond number, which leads to the intermittent dryout at the upper wall of the tube. So far proposed flow pattern transition criteria are ineffective there, and newly developed discrete bubble model demonstrates its high potential in predicting flow patterns. Conventional homogeneous flow model is still available in predicting pressure drop. Based on this fact, flow instability problems, which significantly affect CHF, is discussed focusing on high-pressure CO2 flow.

scholarly journals Elastic Turbulence of Aqueous Polymer Solution in Multi-Stream Micro-Channel Flow

Micromachines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiayan Tai ◽  
Yee Cheong Lam
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Channel Flow ◽  
Flow Instability ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Power Spectra ◽  
Micro Channel ◽  
Polymer Molecules ◽  
Aqueous Solvent ◽  
Micro Channels ◽  
Flow Field Characteristics

Viscous liquid flow in micro-channels is typically laminar because of the low Reynolds number constraint. However, by introducing elasticity into the fluids, the flow behavior could change drastically to become turbulent; this elasticity can be realized by dissolving small quantities of polymer molecules into an aqueous solvent. Our recent investigation has directly visualized the extension and relaxation of these polymer molecules in an aqueous solution. This elastic-driven phenomenon is known as ‘elastic turbulence’. Hitherto, existing studies on elastic flow instability are mostly limited to single-stream flows, and a comprehensive statistical analysis of a multi-stream elastic turbulent micro-channel flow is needed to provide additional physical understanding. Here, we investigate the flow field characteristics of elastic turbulence in a 3-stream contraction-expansion micro-channel flow. By applying statistical analyses and flow visualization tools, we show that the flow field bares many similarities to that of inertia-driven turbulence. More interestingly, we observed regions with two different types of power-law dependence in the velocity power spectra at high frequencies. This is a typical characteristic of two-dimensional turbulence and has hitherto not been reported for elastic turbulent micro-channel flows.

Experimental and Computational Investigation of Flow Development and Pressure Drop in a Rectangular Micro-channel

2005 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weilin Qu ◽  
Issam Mudawar ◽  
Sang-Youp Lee ◽  
Steven T. Wereley
Keyword(s):  
Velocity Field ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Computational Model ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Particle Image Velocimetry System ◽  
Micro Channel ◽  
Measured Velocity ◽  
Micro Particle Image Velocimetry ◽  
Flow Development ◽  
Micro Channels

Flow development and pressure drop were investigated both experimentally and computationally for adiabatic single-phase water flow in a single 222μm wide, 694μm deep, and 12cm long rectangular micro-channel at Reynolds numbers ranging from 196 to 2215. The velocity field was measured using a micro-particle image velocimetry system. A three-dimensional computational model was constructed which provided a detailed description of liquid velocity in both the developing and fully developed regions. At high Reynolds numbers, sharp entrance effects produced pronounced vortices in the inlet region that had a profound influence on flow development downstream. The computational model showed very good predictions of the measured velocity field and pressure drop. These findings prove the conventional Navier-Stokes equation accurately predicts liquid flow in micro-channels, and is therefore a powerful tool for the design and analysis of micro-channel heat sinks intended for electronic cooling.

Transport Phenomena in Two-Phase Micro-Channel Heat Sinks

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weilin Qu ◽  
Issam Mudawar
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Hydrodynamic Instability ◽  
Transport Phenomena ◽  
Flow Patterns ◽  
Heat Sinks ◽  
Micro Channel ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Convective Boiling ◽  
Micro Channels

The design and reliable operation of a two-phase micro-channel heat sink require a fundamental understanding of the complex transport phenomena associated with convective boiling in small, parallel coolant passages. This understanding is the primary goal of this paper. This goal is realized by exploring the following aspects of boiling in micro-channels: hydrodynamic instability, two-phase flow patterns, pressure drop, and convective boiling heat transfer. High-speed photographic methods were used to determine dominant flow patterns and explore as well as characterize hydrodynamic instabilities. Two types of dynamic instability were identified, a severe pressure drop oscillation and a mild parallel channel instability, and a simple method is recommended to completely suppress the former. Predictions of three popular two-phase pressure drop models and correlations were compared to micro-channel water data, and only a separated flow (Lockhart-Martinelli) correlation based on the assumption of laminar flow in both phases gave acceptable predictions. Several popular heat transfer correlations were also examined and deemed unsuitable for micro-channel heat sinks because all these correlations are based on turbulent flow assumptions, and do not capture the unique features of micro-channel flow such as abrupt transition to slug flow, hydrodynamic instability, and high droplet entrainment in the annular regime. These findings point to the need for further study of boiling behavior and new predictive tools specifically tailored to micro-channel heat sinks.

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