Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Gas–liquid two-phase flows in rectangular polymer micro-channels

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Experiments in Fluids Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study addresses gas–liquid two-phase flows in polymer (PMMA) micro-channels with non-molecularly smooth and poorly wetting walls (typical contact angle of 65°) unlike previous studies conducted on highly wetting molecularly smooth materials (e.g., glass/silicon). Four fundamentally different topological flow regimes (Capillary Bubbly, Segmented, Annular, Dry) were identified along with two transitory ones (Segmented/Annular, Annular/Dry) and regime boundaries were identified from the two different test chips. The regime transition boundaries were influenced by the geometry of the two-phase injection, the aspect ratio of the test micro-channels, and potentially the chip material as evidenced from comparisons with the results of previous studies. Three principal Segmented flow sub-regimes (1, 2, and 3) were identified on the basis of quantified topological characteristics, each closely correlated with two-phase flow pressure drop trends. Irregularity of the Segmented regimes and related influencing factors were addressed and discussed. The average bubble length associated with the Segmented flows scaled approximately with a power law of the liquid volumetric flow ratio, which depends on aspect ratio, liquid superficial velocity, and the injection system. A simplified semi-empirical geometric model of gas bubble and liquid plug volumes provided good estimates of liquid plug length for most of the segmented regime cases and for all test-channel aspect ratios. The two-phase flow pressure drop was measured for the square test channels. Each Segmented flow sub-regime was associated with different trends in the pressure drop scaled by the viscous scale. These trends were explained in terms of the quantified flow topology (measured gas bubble and liquid plug lengths) and the number of bubble/plug pairs. Significant quantitative differences were found between the two-phase pressure drop in the polymer micro-channels of this study and those obtained from previous glass/silicon micro-channel studies, indicating that the effect of wall surface properties is important. Pressure drop trends on the capillary scale along gas bubbles extracted from the measurements in square micro-channels indicated a linear dependence on the Capillary number and did not agree with those predicted by highly idealized theory primarily because explicit and implicit assumptions in the theory were not relevant to practical conditions in this study.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adamson DN, Mustafi D, Zhang JXJ, Zheng B, Ismagilov RF (2006) Production of arrays of chemically distinct nanolitre plugs via repeated splitting in microfluidic devices. Lab Chip 6:1178–1186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bretherton FP (1961) The motion of long bubbles in tubes. J Fluid Mech 10:166–168

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Chisholm D (1967) A theoretical basis for the Lockhart-Martinelli correlation for two-phase flow. Int J Heat Mass Trans 10:1767–1778

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cubaud T, Ho C-M (2004) Transport of bubbles in square microchannels. Phys Fluids 16:4575–4585

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cubaud T, Ulmanella U, Ho C-M (2006) Two-phase flow in microchannels with surface modifications. Fluid Dyn Res 38:772–786

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Dittrich PS, Manz A (2006) Lab-on-a-chip: microfluidics in drug discovery. Nat Rev Drug Discov 5:210–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drechsler D, Karbach A, Fuchs H (1998) Nanoindentation on polycarbonate/polymethyl methacrylate Blends. Appl Phys A 66:S825–S829

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Ali J, Gaudet S, Gunther A, Sorger PK, Jensen KF (2005) Cell stimulus and lysis in a microfluidic device with segmented gas-liquid flow. Anal Chem 77:3629–3636

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garstecki P, Fuerstman MJ, Fischbach MA, Sia SK, Whitesides GM (2006a) Mixing with bubbles: a practical technology for use with portable microfluidic devices. Lab Chip 6:207–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garstecki P, Fuerstman MJ, Stone HA, Whitesides GM (2006b) Formation of droplets and bubbles in a microfluidic T-junction–scaling and mechanism of break-up. Lab Chip 6:437–446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Günther A, Jensen KF (2006) Multiphase microfluidics: from flow characteristics to chemical and materials synthesis. Lab Chip 6:1487–1503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Günther A, Khan SA, Thalmann M, Trachsel F, Jensen KF (2004) Transport and reaction in microscale segmented gas-liquid flow. Lab Chip 4:278–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Günther A, Jhunjhunwala M, Thalmann M, Schmidt MA, Jensen KF (2005) Micromixing of miscible liquids in segmented gas-liquid flow. Langmuir 21:1547–1555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hazel AL, Heil M (2002) The steady propagation of a semi-infinite bubble into a tube of elliptical or rectangular cross-section. J Fluid Mech 470:91–114

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Heiszwolf JJ, Engelvaart LB, Eijnden MG, Kreutzer MT, Kapteijn F, Moulijn JA (2001) Hydrodynamic aspects of the monolith loop reactor. Chem Eng Sci 56:805–812

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kawahara A, Chung PMY, Kawaji M (2002) Investigation of two-phase flow pattern, void fraction and pressure drop in a microchannel. Int J Multiphase Flow 28:1411–1435

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Knopf FC, Richard JM, Rice G, Nikitopoulos DE (2006) Pulsing to improve bubble column performance: I Low gas rates. AIChE J 52:1103–1115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kreutzer MT, Kapteijn F, Moulijn JA, Kleijn CR, Heiszwolf JJ (2005) Inertial and interfacial effects on pressure drop of Taylor flow in capillaries. AIChE J 51:2428–2440

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Link DR, Anna SI, Weitz DA, Stone HA (2004) Geometrically mediated breakup of drops in microfluidic devices. Phys Rev Lett 92:54503–545011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lockhart RW, Martinelli RC (1949) Proposed correlation of data for isothermal two-phase, two-component flow in pipes. Chem Eng Progress 45:39–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Matsui G (1992) Characteristic structure of upward bubble flow. In: Jones OC, Michiyoshi I (eds) Dynamics of Two-phase Flows. Begell House, New York, pp 359–377

    Google Scholar 

  • Mishima K, Hibiki T (1996) Some characteristics of air-water two-phase flow in small diameter vertical tubes. Int J Multiphase Flow 22:703–712

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Nakoryakov VE, Kashinsky ON, Burdukov AP, Odnoral VP (1981) Local characteristics of upward gas-liquid flows. Int J Multiphase Flow 7:63–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ratulowski J, Chang H-C (1989) Transport of gas bubbles in capillaries. Phys Fluids A 1:1642–1655

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Shah RK, London AL (1978) Laminar flow forced convection in ducts. Academic, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor GI (1961) Deposition of a viscous fluid on the wall of a tube. J Fluid Mech 10:161–165

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Triplett KA, Ghiaasiaan SM, Abdel-Khalik SI, Sadowski DL (1999) Gas-liquid two-phase flow in microchannels Part I: two-phase flow patterns. Int J Multiphase Flow 25:377–394

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Wälchli S, Von Rohr PR (2006) Two-phase flow characteristics in gas-liquid microreactors. Int J Multiphase Flow 32:791–806

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Wälchli S, Von Rohr PR, Stampanoni M (2005) Multiphase flow visualization in microchannels using x-ray tomographic microscopy (XTM). J Flow Vis Image Proc 12:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wong H, Radke CJ, Morris S (1995) The motion of long bubbles in polygonal capillaries. Part 2. Drag, fluid pressure and fluid flow. J Fluid Mech 292:95–110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao TS, Bi QC (2001) Co-current air-water two-phase flow patterns in vertical triangular microchannels. Int J Multiphase Flow 27:765–782

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Center for BioModular Multi-Scale Systems (CBM2), Louisiana State University, 2508 Patrick F. Taylor Hall, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Namwon Kim, Estelle T. Evans, Daniel S. Park & Dimitris E. Nikitopoulos

  2. Department of Chemistry, Center for BioModular Multi-Scale Systems (CBM2), Louisiana State University, 229 Choppin Hall, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Steven A. Soper

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Center for BioModular Multi-Scale Systems (CBM2), Louisiana State University, 2523B Patrick F. Taylor Hall, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Michael C. Murphy

Authors
  1. Namwon Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Estelle T. Evans
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Daniel S. Park
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Steven A. Soper
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Michael C. Murphy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Dimitris E. Nikitopoulos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dimitris E. Nikitopoulos.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kim, N., Evans, E.T., Park, D.S. et al. Gas–liquid two-phase flows in rectangular polymer micro-channels. Exp Fluids 51, 373–393 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-011-1041-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-011-1041-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation