Frictional Characteristics of Microchannel Gas Flow

Abstract

The improved rates of heat transfer in microchannel gas flows are promising for the design and development of microfluidic systems. This research focuses on the flow characteristics of air in rectangular micro/minichannels at moderate velocities (∼100 m/sec). The 50.8 mm long channels vary from approximately 266 μm to 1090 μm in hydraulic diameter, and the aspect ratio ranges from 0.1 to 0.75. The value of Re ranged from 250 to 4300, with the intention of studying the transition to turbulence. The friction factor is found to be higher than predicted values for Re < 1400 and lower when Re > 1400 suggesting earlier transition to turbulence.