G.D. Ngoma (Canada) and A. Sadiki (Germany)
Microfluidics, Electroosmosis, Heat transfer, Modeling and Simulation.
Time-dependent laminar liquid flow and thermal characteristics in three-dimensional microchannels within square cross-section were numerically investigated using COMSOL Multiphysics computational fluid dynamics code. The heat flux imposed on the microchannel’s bottom wall, the Joule heating due to the applied electric potential, the pressure driven flow, electroosmosis, and variations in the liquid thermophysical properties were taken into account in the numerical model developed. Time-dependent liquid flow velocity distribution and temperature fields were found by solving Navier-Stokes and energy equations, respectively. Electric field distribution was determined based on that of the electric potential. The results obtained demonstrate the impact that pressure difference, heat flux and microchannel dimensions have on liquid flow and thermal behaviors in a square microchannel. The results obtained with the developed model were compared with those for a liquid with constant thermophysical properties.
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