CFD simulation of CO2 removal from hydrogen rich stream in a microchannel

The main object of this research is to perform computational fluid dynamics simulation of CO₂ capturing from hydrogen-rich streams by aqueous DEA solution in a T-Junction microchannel contactor with 250 μm diameter and 5 mm length at dynamic conditions. To develop a comprehensive mathematical framework to simulate the flow hydrodynamics and mass transfer characteristics of system, the continuity and Navier-Stokes equations, two phase transport, and reaction rate model are coupled in COMSOL Multiphysics software. The developed model is solved and the effects of gas and liquid velocities as well as amine concentration on the CO₂ absorption rate, hydrogen purification fraction, and flow hydrodynamic are investigated. The absorption process consists of CO₂ diffusion from bubble bulk toward the bubble boundary, CO₂ solubility in the liquid boundary, diffusion from the boundary into the liquid bulk, and reaction with the amine molecules. The results show that when the gas and liquid streams are mixed in the junction point to form a bubble, the gas cross-section area becomes narrow, and the fluid velocity increases due to the applied force on the bubble by the liquid layers. It appears that increasing the DEA concentration in the inlet from 5% to 20% increases hydrogen purification fraction from 42.3 to 66.4%, and up to 96.7% hydrogen purity is achieved by 20% aqueous solution of DEA.     

Impact of nanoparticle shape on thermohydraulic performance of a nanofluid in an enhanced microchannel heat sink for utilization in cooling of electronic components

In this article, the thermal–hydraulic efficacy of a boehmite nanofluid with various particle shapes is evaluated inside a microchannel heat sink. The study is done for particle shapes of platelet, cylinder, blade, brick, and oblate spheroid at Reynolds numbers (Re) of 300, 800, 1300, and 1800. The particle volume fraction is assumed invariant for all of the nanoparticle shapes. The heat transfer coefficient (h), flow irregularities, pressure loss, and pumping power heighten by the elevation of the Re for all of the nanoparticle shapes. Also, the nanofluid having the platelet-shaped nanoparticles leads to the greatest h, and the nanofluid having the oblate spheroid particles has the lowest h and smallest pressure loss. In contrast, the nanofluid having the platelet-shaped nanoparticles leads to the highest pressure loss. The mean temperature of the bottom surface, thermal resistance, and temperature distribution uniformity decrease by the rise in the Reynolds number for all of the particle shapes. Also, the best distribution of the temperature and the lowest thermal resistance are observed for the suspension containing the platelet particles. Thereby, the thermal resistance of the nanofluid with the platelet particles shows a 9.5% decrement compared to that with the oblate spheroid particles at Re = 300. For all the nanoparticle shapes, the figure of merit (FoM) uplifts by elevating the Re, while the nanofluids containing the brick- and oblate spheroid-shaped nanoparticles demonstrate the highest FoM values.     

Film condensation in horizontal microchannels: Effect of channel shape

The paper gives a progress report on a theoretical study of film condensation in microchannels. The model takes account of surface tension, vapor shear stress and gravity. The effect of channel shape is investigated for condensation of R134a in channels with cross sections: square, triangle, inverted triangle, rectangle with longer side vertical, rectangle with longer side horizontal and circle. The case considered here is where the channel wall temperature is uniform and the vapor is saturated at inlet. For a given mass flux, the local condensate film profile around the cross section is calculated together with the mean heat-transfer coefficient at different distances along the channel. Results are presented here for one vapor mass flux, one vapor temperature and one wall temperature.     

微通道板光电倍增管在高能物理实验中的应用前景

一种用微通道板作为榈增极的新型光电倍增管已研制成功，它的脉冲上升时间小于１ｎｓ，本文介绍了它的一般性并讨论了它的抗磁场性能和作为位置灵敏探测器的可能性。     

位置灵敏探测器的数据获取和处理系统的研制

本文介绍微通道板位置灵敏探测器的数据获取和处理系统的研制，简要描述了它的硬件结构和系统软件，本系统设计成一个ＮＩＭ标准单宽仪器插件，采用ＩＢＭ－ＰＣ／ＡＴ微型计算机作为实验数据读出及数据处理。具有实用、可靠和性能价格比高等特点。     

塑料微流控芯片微通道热压成形机的研制

微通道热压成形机是大连理工大学微系统研究中心研制的塑料微流控芯片自动制造系统中的重要组成设备.文章介绍了塑料微流控芯片微通道热压成形制作工艺,对所研制的微通道热压成形机的机械结构、温度控制、压力和位移控制以及系统软件的设计特点进行了说明,给出了主要性能指标.微通道热压成形机既可以作为单独的设备使用,也可以与其他设备联成系统.     

基于Fluent的微通道天然气废气重整的数值模拟

利用Fluent软件对微通道反应器中天然气废气重整进行数值模拟。利用甲烷来代替天然气进行模拟。多通道反应器由具有平行通道的堇青石块组成,每个平行通道用Rh/Al_2O_3催化剂洗涂。由于堇青石的低热导率,通道之间的热传递被忽略。研究了进料温度,燃料组成和天然气中存在的丙烷对温度和产物分布的影响。通过模拟结果可得出:开始温度沿着通道良好地分布,并且没有形成明显的热点;增加进料温度有利于甲烷转化和氢气生产,但会导致温度分布不均;提高进料中蒸汽的量有助于增加氢气形成,但轻微地减弱了甲烷转化;提高入口处的O_2/C比值可导致甲烷转化率和温度成比例地增加。     

Quasi-direct numerical simulation of lift force-induced particle separation in a curved microchannel by use of a macroscopic particle model

The macroscopic particle model (MPM) based on the finite volume method is employed to validate a mechanism of lift force-induced particle separation in a curved microchannel. According to the particle velocity at each time step in the unsteady simulation, the MPM gives momentum to those fluid cells touching the particle physical boundary. The summation of the given momentum with the reversed sign is divided by the time step to obtain the hydrodynamic force acting on the particle. Namely, the existence and motion of the particle causes fluid flow around the particle, while the flow field caused by the particle determines the particle motion by means of the hydrodynamic force. Therefore, the MPM can be regarded as implementing a quasi-direct numerical simulation over the static computational cells. The lift force acting on a spherical particle in a shear flow is a purely hydrodynamic force caused by the flow field around the particle. It is expected, therefore, that the MPM could predict the lift force effect without any additional model. At first, it is shown that the MPM is capable of predicting particle migration away from the wall of a straight microchannel due to the lift force. In a curved microchannel, subsequently, the particle trajectories from representative release points predicted by the MPM are compared to those predicted by a common particle tracking method without any lift force model. The MPM predicted that the particle trajectories are confined in the outer region of the channel cross-section. On the other hand, the circulating trajectories predicted by the tracking method tend to expand due to centrifugal force caused by the Dean vortices. It is concluded, therefore, that the lift force due to the steep shear rate is a significant factor to cause particle separation in a curved microchannel.     

Computation of reacting electrokinetic flow in microchannel geometries

Devices using an electric field to produce flow in microchannel networks have application to precise chemical reaction, analysis and separation. There is a need for accurate computational design tools that can be used with the physically and geometrically complex conditions of practical devices. The equations governing electrokinetic reacting flow are presented together with classical one-dimensional cases that are directly relevant to the flows in electrokinetic devices. This provides the background for an order of magnitude study of the importance of the various terms in each governing equation, both for the conditions of the double-layer flow and for the main flow in the channel outside the double-layer regions. In agreement with previous studies, for channel widths in the range from several microns to hundreds of microns, it is found that representing the double layer using a local one-dimensional solution to produce the boundary conditions at the walls for the main flow is a good approximation. The ‘layer model’ that emerges is consistent with models proposed in previous studies under more restricted conditions than those considered here, where the role of non-uniform ion species concentration is analysed. The model is applied to the example of alternating reacting flow in a tee junction, both for a two-dimensional and a three-dimensional channel section. The case of the same flow driven by pressure instead of electric field is computed for comparison.     

Acoustically generated flows in microchannel flexural plate wave sensors: Effects of compressibility

Acoustically generated flowfields in flexural plate wave sensors filled with a Newtonian liquid (water) are considered. A computational model based on compressible flow is developed for the sensor with a moving wall for pumping and mixing applications in microchannels. For the compressible flow formulation, an isothermal equation of state for water is employed. The velocity and pressure profiles for different parameters including flexural wall frequency, channel height, amplitude of the wave and wave length are investigated for four microchannel height/length geometries. It is found that the flowfield becomes pseudo-steady after sufficient number of flexural cycles. Both instantaneous and time averaged results show that an evanescent wave is generated in the microchannel. The predicted flows generated by the FPWs are compared with results available in the literature. The proposed device can be exploited to integrate micropumps with complex microfluidic chips improving the portability of micro-total-analysis systems.