Effect of Junctions on Pressure Drop and Flow Patterns inthe Rectangular Micro-channel for the Gas-liquid System

摘要

Process intensification in microchannels has become oneof the attractive research focus. Gas-liquid operations like gasabsorption in microchannels have proven to be highly efficient thanconventional operations. This work is focused on hydrodynamicstudies (pressure drop and flow patterns) in rectangularmicrochannels for the nitrogen-water system at 27 ? temperatureand 1 atmospheric pressure. Y-junction(45o), Cross-T-junction(90o),and T-junction (180o), rectangular microchannels with the followingdimension, (LxWxH) (45 mm x 0.5 mm x 0.75 mm) were used in thiswork. The effect of channel junction on the pressure drop wasevaluated. The highest pressure drop was recorded in Cross-Tjunction than the Y- junction channel and lowest in the T- junctionmicrochannel. The pressure drop was in the range 0.6 to 8.2 kPa, 1.5to 8.6 kPa and 0.4 to 8 kPa for Y, Cross-T and T Junctionrespectively. Finite element analysis (FEA) was conducted for thepressure drop calibration. Simulation and the experimental resultswere fairly in agreement with each other. Slug flow, slug-annularflow, churn flow and annular was observed in the microchannel withdifferent junctions.