This paper presents a transparent microfluidic chip designed for continuous-flow photochemistry applications with integrated electrical sensing. The transparent chip design allows for microscale photochemistry, and permits direct, real-time visual/electrical observation. The microchip uses optically transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes for reagent and phase tracking. High-speed videography was performed to validate the electrical measurement data.

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In this work we present a method that provides the possibility to analyze directly the electrical properties of two-phase flow in microchannel boiling systems. It is shown that the use of impedimetric sensing techniques can be used to track two-phase boiling flow. In order to perform such measurements, the electrical impedance of the composite medium in the channel is measured using planar capacitive elements that are implemented over the channel on a glass lid. Working electrodes are fabricated using indium tin oxide on glass and are compressed against a precision machined metal microchannel. Therefore, it is possible to visually analyze two-phase flow inside the microchannel while simultaneously performing electrical impedance measurements. In order to prevent electrochemical reactions between the fluid inside the microchannel and electrodes on the glass lid, a thin layer of SU8 photoresist was deposited as a protective layer. The electrical impedance measurements were characterized over two-phase flow regimes including bubbly flow, slug flow and annular flow via comparison with simultaneous video recordings.

Determination of local heat transfer coefficient at the interface of channel wall and fluid was the main goal of this experimental study in microchannel flow boiling domain. Flow boiling heat transfer to DI-water in a single microchannel with a rectangular cross section was experimentally investigated. The rectangular cross section dimensions of the experimented microchannel were 1050 μm × 500 μm and 1500 μm × 500 μm. Experiments under conditions of boiling were performed in a test setup, which allows the optical and local impedance measurements of the fluids by mass fluxes of 22.1 kg·m−2·s−1 to 118.8 kg·m−2·s−1 and heat fluxes in the range of 14.7 kW·m−2 to 116.54 kW·m−2. The effect of the mass flux, heat flux, and flow pattern on flow boiling local heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop were investigated. Experimental data compared to existing correlations indicated no single correlation of good predictive value. This was concluded to be the case due to the instability of flow conditions on one hand and the variation of the flow regimes over the experimental conditions on the other hand. The results from the local impedance measurements in correlation to the optical measurements shows the flow regime variation at the experimental conditions. From these measurements, useful parameters for use in models on boiling like the 3-zone model were shown. It was shown that the sensing method can shed a precise light on unknown features locally in slug flow such as residence time of each phases, bubble frequency, and duty cycle.

In this study, we model the heat transfer mechanism for a single nucleate vapor bubble which then expands to an elongated bubble during evaporation in a microchannel. The model is a logical mix of empirical correlations and analytical models and is defined for the two steps of bubble growth including: (a) partially confined growth, in which the bubble expands from nucleation site until it fills the entire cross-section of the channel, and (b) fully confined growth, in which the bubble reaches the side walls and begins to elongate axially in downstream direction. To estimate the heat transfer characteristics of vapor bubble growth during evaporation in the microchannel, the time variation of liquid film thickness and bubble nose position are evaluated. Finally, a time-averaged value of local heat transfer coefficient is obtained for a period of time using available heat transfer correlations for each heat transfer process separately.