Gas Flows in Microsystems

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "A:Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2019) | Viewed by 64810

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Guest Editor
Institut Clément Ader, Université de Toulouse, 3 rue Caroline Aigle, 31400 Toulouse, France
Interests: microfluidics; gas microflows; fluidic microsystems; microscale heat transfer
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Guest Editor
Institut Clément Ader, Université de Toulouse, 3 rue Caroline Aigle, 31400 Toulouse, France
Interests: microfluidics; gas microflows; fluidic microsystems; particle-laden microflows
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The last two decades have witnessed a rapid development of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) involving gas microflows in various technical fields. Gas microflows can for example be observed in micro heat exchangers designed for chemical applications or for cooling of electronic components, in fluidic micro-actuators developed for active flow control purposes, in micronozzles used for the micropropulsion of nano and picosats, in micro gas chromatographs, analyzers or separators, in vacuum generators and in Knudsen micropumps, as well as in some organs-on-a-chip such as artificial lungs. These flows are rarefied due to the small MEMS dimensions and the rarefaction can be increased by low pressure conditions. The flows relate to the slip flow, transition or free molecular regimes, and can involve monatomic or polyatomic gases and gas mixtures. Hydrodynamics and heat and mass transfer are strongly impacted by rarefaction effects and temperature driven microflows offer new opportunities for designing original MEMS for gas pumping or separation. Accordingly, this Special Issue seeks to showcase research papers, short communications, and review articles that focus on novel theoretical and numerical models or data, as well as on new experimental results and technics, for improving knowledge on heat and mass transfer in gas microflows. Papers dealing with the development of original gas MEMS are also welcome.

We look forward to receiving your submission.

Prof. Stéphane Colin
Dr. Lucien Baldas
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • gas microflows
  • rarefied flows
  • microscale heat and mass transfer in gases
  • gas MEMS
  • theoretical, experimental and numerical analysis

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (15 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 179 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial for the Special Issue on Gas Flows in Microsystems
by Stéphane Colin and Lucien Baldas
Micromachines 2019, 10(8), 494; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10080494 - 25 Jul 2019
Viewed by 2165
Abstract
The last two decades have witnessed a rapid development of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) involving gas microflows in various technical fields [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Flows in Microsystems)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

12 pages, 1945 KiB  
Communication
Estimation of Air Damping in Out-of-Plane Comb-Drive Actuators
by Ramin Mirzazadeh and Stefano Mariani
Micromachines 2019, 10(4), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10040263 - 19 Apr 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2860
Abstract
The development of new compliant resonant microsystems and the trend towards further miniaturization have recently raised the issue of the accuracy and reliability of computational tools for the estimation of fluid damping. Focusing on electrostatically actuated torsional micro-mirrors, a major dissipation contribution is [...] Read more.
The development of new compliant resonant microsystems and the trend towards further miniaturization have recently raised the issue of the accuracy and reliability of computational tools for the estimation of fluid damping. Focusing on electrostatically actuated torsional micro-mirrors, a major dissipation contribution is linked to the constrained flow of air at comb fingers. In the case of large tilting angles of the mirror plate, within a period of oscillation the geometry of the air domain at comb-drives gets largely distorted, and the dissipation mechanism is thereby affected. In this communication, we provide an appraisal of simple analytical solutions to estimate the dissipation in the ideal case of air flow between infinite plates, at atmospheric pressure. The results of numerical simulations are also reported to assess the effect on damping of the finite size of actual geometries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Flows in Microsystems)
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16 pages, 4869 KiB  
Article
Design Guidelines for Thermally Driven Micropumps of Different Architectures Based on Target Applications via Kinetic Modeling and Simulations
by Guillermo López Quesada, Giorgos Tatsios, Dimitris Valougeorgis, Marcos Rojas-Cárdenas, Lucien Baldas, Christine Barrot and Stéphane Colin
Micromachines 2019, 10(4), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10040249 - 14 Apr 2019
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4022
Abstract
The manufacturing process and architecture of three Knudsen type micropumps are discussed and the associated flow performance characteristics are investigated. The proposed fabrication process, based on the deposition of successive dry film photoresist layers with low thermal conductivity, is easy to implement, adaptive [...] Read more.
The manufacturing process and architecture of three Knudsen type micropumps are discussed and the associated flow performance characteristics are investigated. The proposed fabrication process, based on the deposition of successive dry film photoresist layers with low thermal conductivity, is easy to implement, adaptive to specific applications, cost-effective, and significantly improves thermal management. Three target application designs, requiring high mass flow rates (pump A), high pressure differences (pump B), and relatively high mass flow rates and pressure differences (pump C), are proposed. Computations are performed based on kinetic modeling via the infinite capillary theory, taking into account all foreseen manufacturing and operation constraints. The performance characteristics of the three pump designs in terms of geometry (number of parallel microchannels per stage and number of stages) and inlet pressure are obtained. It is found that pumps A and B operate more efficiently at pressures higher than 5 kPa and lower than 20 kPa, respectively, while the optimum operation range of pump C is at inlet pressures between 1 kPa and 20 kPa. In all cases, it is advisable to have the maximum number of stages as well as of parallel microchannels per stage that can be technologically realized. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Flows in Microsystems)
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13 pages, 9604 KiB  
Article
Effect of the Pitot Tube on Measurements in Supersonic Axisymmetric Underexpanded Microjets
by Sergey G. Mironov, Vladimir M. Aniskin, Tatiana A. Korotaeva and Ivan S. Tsyryulnikov
Micromachines 2019, 10(4), 235; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10040235 - 6 Apr 2019
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3784
Abstract
This paper describes the results of methodical investigations of the effect of the Pitot tube on measurements of gas-dynamic parameters of supersonic axisymmetric underexpanded real and model microjets. Particular attention is paid to distortions of Pitot pressure variations on the jet axis associated [...] Read more.
This paper describes the results of methodical investigations of the effect of the Pitot tube on measurements of gas-dynamic parameters of supersonic axisymmetric underexpanded real and model microjets. Particular attention is paid to distortions of Pitot pressure variations on the jet axis associated with the wave structure of the jet and to distortions of the supersonic core length. In experiments with model jets escaping from nozzles with diameters ranging from 0.52 to 1.06 mm into the low-pressure chamber, the measurements are performed by the Pitot tubes 0.05 to 2 mm in diameter. The results are analyzed together with the earlier obtained data for real microjets escaping from nozzles with diameters ranging from 10 to 340 µm where the parameters of real microjets were determined by the Pitot microtube 12 µm in diameter. Interaction of the Pitot tube with an unsteady jet in the laminar-turbulent transition region is investigated; the influence of this interaction on Pitot pressure measurements is determined, and a physical interpretation of this phenomenon is provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Flows in Microsystems)
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12 pages, 3495 KiB  
Article
Micro Milled Microfluidic Photoionization Detector for Volatile Organic Compounds
by Gustavo C. Rezende, Stéphane Le Calvé, Jürgen J. Brandner and David Newport
Micromachines 2019, 10(4), 228; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10040228 - 30 Mar 2019
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4616
Abstract
Government regulations and environmental conditions are pushing the development of improved miniaturized gas analyzers for volatile organic compounds. One of the many detectors used for gas analysis is the photoionization detector (PID). This paper presents the design and characterization of a microfluidic photoionization [...] Read more.
Government regulations and environmental conditions are pushing the development of improved miniaturized gas analyzers for volatile organic compounds. One of the many detectors used for gas analysis is the photoionization detector (PID). This paper presents the design and characterization of a microfluidic photoionization detector (or µPID) fabricated using micro milling and electrical discharge machining techniques. This device has no glue and facilitates easy replacement of components. Two materials and fabrication techniques are proposed to produce a layer on the electrodes to protect from ultraviolet (UV) light and possible signal noise generation. Three different microchannels are tested experimentally and their results are compared. The channel with highest electrode area (31.17 mm²) and higher volume (6.47 µL) produces the highest raw signal and the corresponding estimated detection limit is 0.6 ppm for toluene without any amplification unit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Flows in Microsystems)
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16 pages, 2382 KiB  
Article
Design of a Novel Axial Gas Pulses Micromixer and Simulations of its Mixing Abilities via Computational Fluid Dynamics
by Florian Noël, Christophe A. Serra and Stéphane Le Calvé
Micromachines 2019, 10(3), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10030205 - 23 Mar 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3929
Abstract
Following the fast development of microfluidics over the last decade, the need for methods for mixing two gases in flow at an overall flow rate ranging from 1 to 100 NmL·min−1 with programmable mixing ratios has been quickly increasing in many fields [...] Read more.
Following the fast development of microfluidics over the last decade, the need for methods for mixing two gases in flow at an overall flow rate ranging from 1 to 100 NmL·min−1 with programmable mixing ratios has been quickly increasing in many fields of application, especially in the calibration of analytical devices such as air pollution sensors. This work investigates numerically the mixing of pure gas pulses at flow rates in the range 1–100 NmL·min−1 in a newly designed multi-stage and modular micromixer composed of 4 buffer tanks of 300 µL each per stage. Results indicate that, for a 1 s pulse of pure gas (formaldehyde) followed by a 9 s pulse of pure carrier gas (air), that is a pulses ratio of 1/10, an effective mixing up to 94–96% can be readily obtained at the exit of the micromixer. This is achieved in less than 20 s for any flow rate ranging from 1 to 100 NmL·min−1 simply by adjusting the number of stages, 1 to 16 respectively. By using an already diluted gas bottle containing 100 ppm of a given compound in an inert gas same as the carrier gas, concentrations ranging from 10 to 90 ppm should be obtained by adjusting the pulses ratio between 1/10 and 9/10 respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Flows in Microsystems)
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9 pages, 2334 KiB  
Article
Development of a Toluene Detector Based on Deep UV Absorption Spectrophotometry Using Glass and Aluminum Capillary Tube Gas Cells with a LED Source
by Sulaiman Khan, David Newport and Stéphane Le Calvé
Micromachines 2019, 10(3), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10030193 - 18 Mar 2019
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5186
Abstract
A simple deep-ultraviolet (UV) absorption spectrophotometer based on ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV LED) was developed for the detection of air-borne toluene with a good sensitivity. A fiber-coupled deep UV-LED was employed as a light source, and a spectrometer was used as a detector [...] Read more.
A simple deep-ultraviolet (UV) absorption spectrophotometer based on ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV LED) was developed for the detection of air-borne toluene with a good sensitivity. A fiber-coupled deep UV-LED was employed as a light source, and a spectrometer was used as a detector with a gas cell in between. 3D printed opto-fluidics connectors were designed to integrate the gas flow with UV light. Two types of hollow core waveguides (HCW) were tested as gas cells: a glass capillary tube with aluminum-coated inner walls and an aluminum capillary tube. The setup was tested for different toluene concentrations (10–100 ppm), and a linear relationship was observed with sensitivities of 0.20 mA·U/ppm and 0.32 mA·U/ppm for the glass and aluminum HCWs, respectively. The corresponding limits of detection were found to be 8.1 ppm and 12.4 ppm, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Flows in Microsystems)
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13 pages, 2494 KiB  
Article
Sub-ppb Level Detection of BTEX Gaseous Mixtures with a Compact Prototype GC Equipped with a Preconcentration Unit
by Irene Lara-lbeas, Alberto Rodríguez-Cuevas, Christina Andrikopoulou, Vincent Person, Lucien Baldas, Stéphane Colin and Stéphane Le Calvé
Micromachines 2019, 10(3), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10030187 - 13 Mar 2019
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5172
Abstract
In this work, a compact gas chromatograph prototype for near real-time benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) detection at sub-ppb levels has been developed. The system is composed of an aluminium preconcentrator (PC) filled with Basolite C300, a 20 m long Rxi-624 capillary [...] Read more.
In this work, a compact gas chromatograph prototype for near real-time benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) detection at sub-ppb levels has been developed. The system is composed of an aluminium preconcentrator (PC) filled with Basolite C300, a 20 m long Rxi-624 capillary column and a photoionization detector. The performance of the device has been evaluated in terms of adsorption capacity, linearity and sensitivity. Initially, PC breakthrough time for an equimolar 1 ppm BTEX mixture has been determined showing a remarkable capacity of the adsorbent to quantitatively trap BTEX even at high concentrations. Then, a highly linear relationship between sample volume and peak area has been obtained for all compounds by injecting 100-ppb samples with volumes ranging from 5–80 mL. Linear plots were also observed when calibration was conducted in the range 0–100 ppb using a 20 mL sampling volume implying a total analysis time of 19 min. Corresponding detection limits of 0.20, 0.26, 0.49, 0.80 and 1.70 ppb have been determined for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m/p-xylenes and o-xylene, respectively. These experimental results highlight the potential applications of our device to monitor indoor or outdoor air quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Flows in Microsystems)
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16 pages, 2346 KiB  
Article
Gas Mixing and Final Mixture Composition Control in Simple Geometry Micro-mixers via DSMC Analysis
by Stavros Meskos, Stefan Stefanov and Dimitris Valougeorgis
Micromachines 2019, 10(3), 178; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10030178 - 7 Mar 2019
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3651
Abstract
The mixing process of two pressure driven steady-state rarefied gas streams flowing between two parallel plates was investigated via DSMC (Direct Simulation Monte Carlo) for different combinations of gases. The distance from the inlet, where the associated relative density difference of each species [...] Read more.
The mixing process of two pressure driven steady-state rarefied gas streams flowing between two parallel plates was investigated via DSMC (Direct Simulation Monte Carlo) for different combinations of gases. The distance from the inlet, where the associated relative density difference of each species is minimized and the associated mixture homogeneity is optimized, is the so-called mixing length. In general, gas mixing progressed very rapidly. The type of gas surface interaction was clearly the most important parameter affecting gas mixing. As the reflection became more specular, the mixing length significantly increased. The mixing lengths of the HS (hard sphere) and VHS (variable hard sphere) collision models were higher than those of the VSS (variable soft sphere) model, while the corresponding relative density differences were negligible. In addition, the molecular mass ratio of the two components had a minor effect on the mixing length and a more important effect on the relative density difference. The mixture became less homogenous as the molecular mass ratio reduced. Finally, varying the channel length and/or the wall temperature had a minor effect. Furthermore, it was proposed to control the output mixture composition by adding in the mixing zone, the so-called splitter, separating the downstream flow into two outlet mainstreams. Based on intensive simulation data with the splitter, simple approximate expressions were derived, capable of providing, once the desired outlet mixture composition was specified, the correct position of the splitter, without performing time consuming simulations. The mixing analysis performed and the proposed approach for controlling gas mixing may support corresponding experimental work, as well as the design of gas micro-mixers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Flows in Microsystems)
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18 pages, 2240 KiB  
Article
A Comparison of Data Reduction Methods for Average Friction Factor Calculation of Adiabatic Gas Flows in Microchannels
by Danish Rehman, Gian Luca Morini and Chungpyo Hong
Micromachines 2019, 10(3), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10030171 - 28 Feb 2019
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3340
Abstract
In this paper, a combined numerical and experimental approach for the estimation of the average friction factor along adiabatic microchannels with compressible gas flows is presented. Pressure-drop experiments are performed for a rectangular microchannel with a hydraulic diameter of 295 μ m by [...] Read more.
In this paper, a combined numerical and experimental approach for the estimation of the average friction factor along adiabatic microchannels with compressible gas flows is presented. Pressure-drop experiments are performed for a rectangular microchannel with a hydraulic diameter of 295 μ m by varying Reynolds number up to 17,000. In parallel, the calculation of friction factor has been repeated numerically and results are compared with the experimental work. The validated numerical model was also used to gain an insight of flow physics by varying the aspect ratio and hydraulic diameter of rectangular microchannels with respect to the channel tested experimentally. This was done with an aim of verifying the role of minor loss coefficients for the estimation of the average friction factor. To have laminar, transitional, and turbulent regimes captured, numerical analysis has been performed by varying Reynolds number from 200 to 20,000. Comparison of numerically and experimentally calculated gas flow characteristics has shown that adiabatic wall treatment (Fanno flow) results in better agreement of average friction factor values with conventional theory than the isothermal treatment of gas along the microchannel. The use of a constant value for minor loss coefficients available in the literature is not recommended for microflows as they change from one assembly to the other and their accurate estimation for compressible flows requires a coupling of numerical analysis with experimental data reduction. Results presented in this work demonstrate how an adiabatic wall treatment along the length of the channel coupled with the assumption of an isentropic flow from manifold to microchannel inlet results in a self-sustained experimental data reduction method for the accurate estimation of friction factor values even in presence of significant compressibility effects. Results also demonstrate that both the assumption of perfect expansion and consequently wrong estimation of average temperature between inlet and outlet of a microchannel can be responsible for an apparent increase in experimental average friction factor in choked flow regime. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Flows in Microsystems)
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19 pages, 7840 KiB  
Article
Interactive Effects of Rarefaction and Surface Roughness on Aerodynamic Lubrication of Microbearings
by Yao Wu, Lihua Yang, Tengfei Xu and Haoliang Xu
Micromachines 2019, 10(2), 155; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10020155 - 25 Feb 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3950
Abstract
The aerodynamic lubrication performance of gas microbearing has a particularly critical impact on the stability of the bearing-rotor system in micromachines. Based on the Duwensee’s slip correction model and the fractal geometry theory, the interactive effects of gas rarefaction and surface roughness on [...] Read more.
The aerodynamic lubrication performance of gas microbearing has a particularly critical impact on the stability of the bearing-rotor system in micromachines. Based on the Duwensee’s slip correction model and the fractal geometry theory, the interactive effects of gas rarefaction and surface roughness on the static and dynamic characteristics were investigated under various operation conditions and structure parameters. The modified Reynolds equation, which governs the gas film pressure distribution in rough bearing, is solved by employing the partial derivative method. The results show that high values of the eccentricity ratio and bearing number tend to increase the principal stiffness coefficients significantly, and the fractal roughness surface considerably affects the ultra-thin film damping characteristics compared to smooth surface bearing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Flows in Microsystems)
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15 pages, 1127 KiB  
Article
Modeling of Knudsen Layer Effects in the Micro-Scale Backward-Facing Step in the Slip Flow Regime
by Apurva Bhagat, Harshal Gijare and Nishanth Dongari
Micromachines 2019, 10(2), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10020118 - 12 Feb 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5421
Abstract
The effect of the Knudsen layer in the thermal micro-scale gas flows has been investigated. The effective mean free path model has been implemented in the open source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, to extend its applicability up to slip and early transition [...] Read more.
The effect of the Knudsen layer in the thermal micro-scale gas flows has been investigated. The effective mean free path model has been implemented in the open source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, to extend its applicability up to slip and early transition flow regime. The conventional Navier-Stokes constitutive relations and the first-order non-equilibrium boundary conditions are modified based on the effective mean free path, which depends on the distance from the solid surface. The predictive capability of the standard ‘Maxwell velocity slip—Smoluchwoski temperature jump’ and hybrid boundary conditions ‘Langmuir Maxwell velocity slip—Langmuir Smoluchwoski temperature jump’ in conjunction with the Knudsen layer formulation has been evaluated in the present work. Simulations are carried out over a nano-/micro-scale backward facing step geometry in which flow experiences adverse pressure gradient, separation and re-attachment. Results are validated against the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) data, and have shown significant improvement over the existing CFD solvers. Non-equilibrium effects on the velocity and temperature of gas on the surface of the backward facing step channel are studied by varying the flow Knudsen number, inlet flow temperature, and wall temperature. Results show that the modified solver with hybrid Langmuir based boundary conditions gives the best predictions when the Knudsen layer is incorporated, and the standard Maxwell-Smoluchowski can accurately capture momentum and the thermal Knudsen layer when the temperature of the wall is higher than the fluid flow. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Flows in Microsystems)
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18 pages, 4821 KiB  
Article
Pressure Drop of Microchannel Plate Fin Heat Sinks
by Zhipeng Duan, Hao Ma, Boshu He, Liangbin Su and Xin Zhang
Micromachines 2019, 10(2), 80; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10020080 - 24 Jan 2019
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 7837
Abstract
The entrance region constitutes a considerable fraction of the channel length in miniaturized devices. Laminar slip flow in microchannel plate fin heat sinks under hydrodynamically developing conditions is investigated semi-analytically and numerically in this paper. The semi-analytical model for the pressure drop of [...] Read more.
The entrance region constitutes a considerable fraction of the channel length in miniaturized devices. Laminar slip flow in microchannel plate fin heat sinks under hydrodynamically developing conditions is investigated semi-analytically and numerically in this paper. The semi-analytical model for the pressure drop of microchannel plate fin heat sinks is obtained by solving the momentum equation with the first-order velocity slip boundary conditions at the channel walls. The simple pressure drop model utilizes fundamental solutions from fluid dynamics to predict its constitutive components. The accuracy of the model is examined using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and the experimental and numerical data available in the literature. The model can be applied to either apparent liquid slip over hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces or gas slip flow in microchannel heat sinks. The developed model has an accuracy of 92 percent for slip flow in microchannel plate fin heat sinks. The developed model may be used to predict the pressure drop of slip flow in microchannel plate fin heat sinks for minimizing the effort and expense of experiments, especially in the design and optimization of microchannel plate fin heat sinks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Flows in Microsystems)
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14 pages, 8352 KiB  
Article
Study of Flow Characteristics of Gas Mixtures in a Rectangular Knudsen Pump
by Zhijun Zhang, Xiaowei Wang, Lili Zhao, Shiwei Zhang and Fan Zhao
Micromachines 2019, 10(2), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10020079 - 24 Jan 2019
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4131
Abstract
A Knudsen pump operates under the thermal transpiration effect or the thermal edge effect on the micro-scale. Due to the uneven temperature distribution of the walls in the channel axis direction or the constant temperature of the tips on the walls, directional thermally-induced [...] Read more.
A Knudsen pump operates under the thermal transpiration effect or the thermal edge effect on the micro-scale. Due to the uneven temperature distribution of the walls in the channel axis direction or the constant temperature of the tips on the walls, directional thermally-induced flow is generated. In this paper the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is applied for N2–O2 gas mixtures in the ratios of 4:1, 1:1, and 1:4 with different Knudsen numbers in a classic rectangular Knudsen pump to study the flow characteristics of the gas mixtures in the pump. The results show that the changing in the gas physical properties does not affect the distribution of the velocity field, temperature fields, or other fields in the Knudsen pump. The thermal creep effect is related to the molecular mass of the gas. Even in N2 and O2 gas mixtures with similar molecular masses, N2 can be also found to have a stronger thermal creep effect. Moreover, the lighter molecular weight gas (N2) can effectively promote the motion of the heavier gas (O2). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Flows in Microsystems)
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Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

16 pages, 2198 KiB  
Review
In-Situ Measurements in Microscale Gas Flows—Conventional Sensors or Something Else?
by Juergen J. Brandner
Micromachines 2019, 10(5), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi10050292 - 29 Apr 2019
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3897
Abstract
Within the last few decades miniaturization has a driving force in almost all areas of technology, leading to a tremendous intensification of systems and processes. Information technology provides now data density several orders of magnitude higher than a few years ago, and the [...] Read more.
Within the last few decades miniaturization has a driving force in almost all areas of technology, leading to a tremendous intensification of systems and processes. Information technology provides now data density several orders of magnitude higher than a few years ago, and the smartphone technology includes, as well the simple ability to communicate with others, features like internet, video and music streaming, but also implementation of the global positioning system, environment sensors or measurement systems for individual health. So-called wearables are everywhere, from the physio-parameter sensing wrist smart watch up to the measurement of heart rates by underwear. This trend holds also for gas flow applications, where complex flow arrangements and measurement systems formerly designed for a macro scale have been transferred into miniaturized versions. Thus, those systems took advantage of the increased surface to volume ratio as well as of the improved heat and mass transfer behavior of miniaturized equipment. In accordance, disadvantages like gas flow mal-distribution on parallelized mini- or micro tubes or channels as well as increased pressure losses due to the minimized hydraulic diameters and an increased roughness-to-dimension ratio have to be taken into account. Furthermore, major problems are arising for measurement and control to be implemented for in-situ and/or in-operando measurements. Currently, correlated measurements are widely discussed to obtain a more comprehensive view to a process by using a broad variety of measurement techniques complementing each other. Techniques for correlated measurements may include commonly used techniques like thermocouples or pressure sensors as well as more complex systems like gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, infrared or ultraviolet spectroscopy and many others. Some of these techniques can be miniaturized, some of them cannot yet. Those should, nevertheless, be able to conduct measurements at the same location and the same time, preferably in-situ and in-operando. Therefore, combinations of measurement instruments might be necessary, which will provide complementary techniques for accessing local process information. A recently more intensively discussed additional possibility is the application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) systems, which might be useful in combination with other, more conventional measurement techniques. NMR is currently undergoing a tremendous change from large-scale to benchtop measurement systems, and it will most likely be further miniaturized. NMR allows a multitude of different measurements, which are normally covered by several instruments. Additionally, NMR can be combined very well with other measurement equipment to perform correlative in-situ and in-operando measurements. Such combinations of several instruments would allow us to retrieve an “information cloud” of a process. This paper will present a view of some common measurement techniques and the difficulties of applying them on one hand in a miniaturized scale, and on the other hand in a correlative mode. Basic suggestions to achieve the above-mentioned objective by a combination of different methods including NMR will be given. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gas Flows in Microsystems)
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