G.D. Ngoma and F. Erchiqui (Canada)
Microfluidics, Heat transfer, Electric potential, Electric field, Microchannel, Modeling and Simulation
The liquid flow and the thermal characteristics in a three dimensional microchannel of varying rectangular cross section was numerically investigated. The forced heat flux on the bottom and upper microchannel wall, the Joule heating due to the applied electric potential at the microchannel inlet and outlet, the electro-osmosis and the pressure-driven flow were taken into account. Using the Helmholtz-Smoluchowski electroosmotic velocity as boundary condition, the liquid velocity and the temperature distributions were found respectively solving the Navier-Stokes and the energy equations for a laminar flow in an incompressible liquid. The results obtained demonstrate the impact of the heat flux, the pressure difference and the electric potential on the liquid flow and the thermal behaviors in a microchannel of constant height and varying cross-section. A comparison of the results of the developed model with those of a microchannel of a constant cross-section was made.
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