Numerical simulation of fluid flow in microchannels with induced irregularities

Abstract

Abstract Microchannels are small-scale channels with unique properties that make them useful in various fields, such as electronics, biomedical engineering, and chemical engineering. This research paper investigates the effect of microchannel geometry on fluid flow behavior at different values of the Reynolds number. A rectangular microchannel with a pattern of obstructions and water as the working fluid was used in this study. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were used to investigate the impact of different channel geometrical configurations and different values of the Reynolds number on fluid flow behavior. The results showed that the channel geometrical configuration and the Reynolds number significantly affect fluid flow behavior. A geometry with increasing obstruction heights led to higher values of pressure drop than the geometry with decreasing obstruction heights. This study provides valuable insights into microchannel flow behavior and can be used for the development of optimized microchannel designs for diverse applications.