Microfluidic Flows and Heat Transfer and Their Influence on Optical Modes in Microstructure Fibers

Abstract

A finite element analysis (FEA) model has been constructed to predict the thermo-fluidic and optical properties of a microstructure optical fiber (MOF) accounting for changes in external temperature, input water velocity and optical fiber geometry. Modeling a water laminar flow within a water channel has shown that the steady-state temperature is dependent on the water channel radius while independent of the input velocity. There is a critical channel radius below which the steady-state temperature of the water channel is constant, while above, the temperature decreases. However, the distance required to reach steady state within the water channel is dependent on both the input velocity and the channel radius. The MOF has been found capable of supporting multiple modes. Despite the large thermo-optic coefficient of water, the bound modes’ response to temperature was dominated by the thermo-optic coefficient of glass. This is attributed to the majority of the light being confined within the glass, which increased with increasing external temperature due to a larger difference in the refractive index between the glass core and the water channel.

Nonlinear Microfluidics

“…The finite difference, finite volume, finite element, and lattice Boltzmann numerical methods can approximate solutions to boundary value problems in a discretized computational domain with a high degree of accuracy, , establishing the field of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). These powerful tools can solve fluid velocity and pressure fields for a wide range of Re values, incorporate different aspects of physics such as heat transfer, arbitrary body forces, and multiphase fluids; handle complex transient fluid–structure interactions; and be used for complex optimization problems . But the results gained from CFD do not always provide satisfying insight into the structure of the solution.…”

A systematic review of heat recovery from roads for mitigating urban heat island effects: current state and future directions

“…Various advanced design techniques have been explored in the literature, and some of the most promising ones are discussed. Microfluidic channels (Davies et al, 2014), Nanofluids, advanced heat exchanger designs, phase change materials, and coatings made of nanomaterials can significantly improve the performance of heat recovery systems. By increasing the surface area-to-volume ratio, microfluidic channels enhance heat transfer efficiency (Marshall et al, 2017).…”

“…In recent studies, a variety of materials and techniques have been explored for their potential to enhance heat transfer efficiency. This includes innovations like microfluidic channels, Nanofluids, phase change materials, composite materials, and porous materials (Zhang et al, 2006;Stempihar et al, 2012;Delavar and Azimi, 2013a;Davies et al, 2014;Atinafu et al, 2020).…”

Development of Microplatforms to Mimic the In Vivo Architecture of CNS and PNS Physiology and Their Diseases

“…The dimensions of the microchannels are usually in the range of tens to hundreds of micrometers, allowing sample/reagent volumes in the range of nano- to pico-liters to be handled. Indeed, small microfluidic tools provide many advantages such as minimal waste production, speedy reaction times (seconds or milliseconds), rapid mass and heat transfer rates, and rapid diffusion [ 13 , 20 , 21 ]. Enhanced sensitivity, resolution, and precision in microfluidic systems may be attributed to high surface-to-volume ratio in the microstructure [ 22 ].…”