Experiment and lattice Boltzmann simulation of two-phase gas-liquid flows in microchannels

The two-phase flows in microchannels have many advantages in heat and mass transfer compared to single-phase flows. In particular, segmented flows such as bubbly and slug flows are often used in microfluidic devices. In the present study, experiments and Lattice Boltzmann simulations were carried out to study the gas-liquid flow in microchannels under various conditions. Two types of mixer geometries were used, including the cross-shape and the converging shape channels. The bubble shape, bubble size, and formation mechanism were investigated for different flow rates and different mixer geometries. The simulation results and the experimental results were compared based on dimensionless numbers, and good agreement was found in general. Different flow regimes with different bubble shapes were found depending on the Capillary number of the flow. The simulation data confirmed that the breakup was induced by the pressure difference in the two phases for small Capillary numbers. The geometry of the mixing section was also observed to have an impact on the size of the gas and liquid slugs.