Investigating the Flow Characteristics of Superhydrophobic U-Shaped Microchannels
Hydrophobicity has been widely reported for its superior behavior in drag reduction, self-cleaning, and anti-corrosion in many areas. Especially in engineering design, the research of the unique property of the slip flow with complex flow patterns is essential for practical applications. In this pap...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Machines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/11/1/51 |
| _version_ | 1797439482736148480 |
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| author | Zhi Tao Weidong Fang Haiwang Li Tiantong Xu Yi Huang Hanxiao Wu Murun Li |
| author_facet | Zhi Tao Weidong Fang Haiwang Li Tiantong Xu Yi Huang Hanxiao Wu Murun Li |
| author_sort | Zhi Tao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hydrophobicity has been widely reported for its superior behavior in drag reduction, self-cleaning, and anti-corrosion in many areas. Especially in engineering design, the research of the unique property of the slip flow with complex flow patterns is essential for practical applications. In this paper, the flow characteristics of a superhydrophobic U-shaped microchannel are systematically investigated, as the curved part is a fundamental component in microfluids. A slip model is established based on theoretical and experimental solutions. Various types of U-shaped microchannels, radii of curvature, and contact angles are studied with a wide range of Reynolds numbers from 0 to 300. We propose a velocity distribution to examine the non-uniformity of slip velocity on the cross-section. This imbalance is improved with an increase in the apparent contact angle and flow rate, and a decrease in the radius of curvature. The secondary flow and vortices generated by the centrifugal force are enhanced, and their positions are changed due to the slippery boundary. The results show a considerable drag reduction from 10% to 40% with different contact angles. The variation of curvature does not have a decisive impact on the final performance when the surface wettability maintains a steady state. Our research elucidates the physical principle of the slip model in curved channels, showing extensive applications of hydrophobicity in the design of complex microchips and the optimization strategy of heat transfer systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:54:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-87411cdb22bc4eb08b9cef00d9ebec98 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1702 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:54:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Machines |
| spelling | doaj.art-87411cdb22bc4eb08b9cef00d9ebec982023-11-30T23:11:12ZengMDPI AGMachines2075-17022023-01-011115110.3390/machines11010051Investigating the Flow Characteristics of Superhydrophobic U-Shaped MicrochannelsZhi Tao0Weidong Fang1Haiwang Li2Tiantong Xu3Yi Huang4Hanxiao Wu5Murun Li6National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aero-Engine Aero-Thermodynamics, Research Institute of Aero-Engine, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, ChinaNational Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aero-Engine Aero-Thermodynamics, Research Institute of Aero-Engine, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, ChinaNational Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aero-Engine Aero-Thermodynamics, Research Institute of Aero-Engine, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, ChinaNational Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aero-Engine Aero-Thermodynamics, Research Institute of Aero-Engine, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, ChinaNational Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aero-Engine Aero-Thermodynamics, Research Institute of Aero-Engine, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, ChinaBeijing Institute of Astronautical Systems Engineering, China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, Beijing 100076, ChinaNational Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aero-Engine Aero-Thermodynamics, Research Institute of Aero-Engine, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, ChinaHydrophobicity has been widely reported for its superior behavior in drag reduction, self-cleaning, and anti-corrosion in many areas. Especially in engineering design, the research of the unique property of the slip flow with complex flow patterns is essential for practical applications. In this paper, the flow characteristics of a superhydrophobic U-shaped microchannel are systematically investigated, as the curved part is a fundamental component in microfluids. A slip model is established based on theoretical and experimental solutions. Various types of U-shaped microchannels, radii of curvature, and contact angles are studied with a wide range of Reynolds numbers from 0 to 300. We propose a velocity distribution to examine the non-uniformity of slip velocity on the cross-section. This imbalance is improved with an increase in the apparent contact angle and flow rate, and a decrease in the radius of curvature. The secondary flow and vortices generated by the centrifugal force are enhanced, and their positions are changed due to the slippery boundary. The results show a considerable drag reduction from 10% to 40% with different contact angles. The variation of curvature does not have a decisive impact on the final performance when the surface wettability maintains a steady state. Our research elucidates the physical principle of the slip model in curved channels, showing extensive applications of hydrophobicity in the design of complex microchips and the optimization strategy of heat transfer systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/11/1/51microchannelU-shapedsuperhydrophobicdrag reduction |
| spellingShingle | Zhi Tao Weidong Fang Haiwang Li Tiantong Xu Yi Huang Hanxiao Wu Murun Li Investigating the Flow Characteristics of Superhydrophobic U-Shaped Microchannels Machines microchannel U-shaped superhydrophobic drag reduction |
| title | Investigating the Flow Characteristics of Superhydrophobic U-Shaped Microchannels |
| title_full | Investigating the Flow Characteristics of Superhydrophobic U-Shaped Microchannels |
| title_fullStr | Investigating the Flow Characteristics of Superhydrophobic U-Shaped Microchannels |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating the Flow Characteristics of Superhydrophobic U-Shaped Microchannels |
| title_short | Investigating the Flow Characteristics of Superhydrophobic U-Shaped Microchannels |
| title_sort | investigating the flow characteristics of superhydrophobic u shaped microchannels |
| topic | microchannel U-shaped superhydrophobic drag reduction |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/11/1/51 |
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