Why is the concept of pressure drop through microchannels important?

merclarenz · April 8, 2016, 11:15

Like, i know many experiments have been conducted, but why? Like why is it important to investigate it?

Thanks

mprinkey · April 8, 2016, 13:17

Two reasons come immediately to mind. Viscous effects scale as 1/L^2 while convection scale at 1/L, so for small confided domains, viscous effect tend to dominate...see porous media. Pressure and viscous effects end up being all that is important...well, body forces too. But inertia terms are not.

Second, depending on how "micro" the microchannels are, the continuum assumption used to build the Navier Stokes equations may break down. If the scale of the channel is near the mean free path, the ballistic nature of the flow molecules will become important, so you may need a statistical mechanical description of the flow.

FMDenaro · April 8, 2016, 13:58

I can immagine that the pressure drop is the main parameter for the correct transport of droplets/bubbles in microfluidic channels

merclarenz · April 9, 2016, 19:26

so why would it be better to have a smaller pressure drop?

mprinkey · April 9, 2016, 21:27

Lower pumping losses implying higher energy efficiency. Less physical stress on the microchannel structures.

merclarenz · April 13, 2016, 07:13

So its better to have lower pressure drops in micrrotubes?

April 8, 2016, 11:15	Why is the concept of pressure drop through microchannels important?	#1
merclarenz New Member Hugh Jones Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 4 Rep Power: 10	Like, i know many experiments have been conducted, but why? Like why is it important to investigate it? Thanks

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April 8, 2016, 13:17		#2
mprinkey Senior Member Michael Prinkey Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Pittsburgh PA Posts: 363 Rep Power: 25	Two reasons come immediately to mind. Viscous effects scale as 1/L^2 while convection scale at 1/L, so for small confided domains, viscous effect tend to dominate...see porous media. Pressure and viscous effects end up being all that is important...well, body forces too. But inertia terms are not. Second, depending on how "micro" the microchannels are, the continuum assumption used to build the Navier Stokes equations may break down. If the scale of the channel is near the mean free path, the ballistic nature of the flow molecules will become important, so you may need a statistical mechanical description of the flow.

April 8, 2016, 13:58		#3
FMDenaro Senior Member Filippo Maria Denaro Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 6,768 Rep Power: 71	I can immagine that the pressure drop is the main parameter for the correct transport of droplets/bubbles in microfluidic channels

April 9, 2016, 19:26		#4
merclarenz New Member Hugh Jones Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 4 Rep Power: 10	so why would it be better to have a smaller pressure drop?

April 9, 2016, 21:27		#5
mprinkey Senior Member Michael Prinkey Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Pittsburgh PA Posts: 363 Rep Power: 25	Lower pumping losses implying higher energy efficiency. Less physical stress on the microchannel structures.

April 13, 2016, 07:13		#6
merclarenz New Member Hugh Jones Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 4 Rep Power: 10	So its better to have lower pressure drops in micrrotubes?