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Numerical study of the effect on mixing of the position of fluid stream interfaces in a rectangular microchannel

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Abstract

A numerical study has been carried out to investigate the effect on mixing of the position of fluid stream interfaces in a rectangular microchannel. The velocity profile in a microchannel has a parabolic shape which shows maximum local velocity at the center of the channel and minimum velocity near the wall. This velocity profile governs the residence time of the fluid streams and hence effects on the mixing of fluid streams. Single and double interfaces of the fluid streams have been studied in rectangular microchannels for the range of Reynolds numbers (0.1 ≤ Re ≤ 10) where mixing is mainly governed by molecular diffusion. Significant variations in the mixing performance have been shown at various positions of the interfaces at different Reynolds number.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by INHA University Research Grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, 253 Young Hyun-dong, Nam-gu, Incheon, 402-751, Republic of Korea

    M. A. Ansari, Kwang-Yong Kim & Sun Min Kim

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  1. M. A. Ansari
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  2. Kwang-Yong Kim
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  3. Sun Min Kim
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Correspondence to Sun Min Kim.

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Ansari, M.A., Kim, KY. & Kim, S.M. Numerical study of the effect on mixing of the position of fluid stream interfaces in a rectangular microchannel. Microsyst Technol 16, 1757–1763 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-010-1100-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-010-1100-2

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