EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF FLUID FLOW IN MICROCHANNEL

This paper presents a study of fluid flow through microchannel. Based on the work of Senta and Nnanna, [23], a trapezoidal-shaped manifold is used to ensure uniform flow distribution in the microchannel. Analysis further shows that flow uniformity among the channels largely depends on shape of the manifolds, length and location of inlet and outlets, and the inlet flow rate. The test setup consists of one hundred twenty-six 14.5 mu m-width channels, flow loop, heat source, thermal sensors and pressure transducers. Flow of fluid through the channels is regulated using a peristaltic pump. Experiments were conducted from various flow rates and heat loads. According to experimental data, microchannel has significant impact in the heat transfer rate for all the flow rates considered. This enhancement could be attributed to laminar flow in the microchannels, conduction heat transfer through the walls of the channel, fluid-channel wall interaction, and microconvection within the channel. Results show raises some concerns on the use of empirical correlations for flow between two parallel plates to predict heat transfer behavior in microchannels. In the absence of experimental data, f approximate to -2(dp/dx)d(h)/rho u(m)(2) provides a reasonable estimate of friction factor in microchannel.