LOW-REYNOLDS-NUMBER INSTABILITY OF THE LAMINAR FLOW BETWEEN WAVY WALLS
Instability of a viscous incompressible flow in a channel with wavy walls is investigated theoretically, numerically and experimentally. Linear stability analysis shows that appropriately chosen wall waviness leads to flow destabilization at surprisingly low Reynolds numbers. The unstable mode of disturbances forms a vortex array, which travels downstream. The remarkable feature is that the most destabilizing waviness does not introduce any additional flow resistance. The outcome of the stability analysis are consistent with the result of direct numerical simulation obtained using CFD finite volume package FLUENT (Ansys Inc.). Preliminary experimental data gained for a channel with appropriately corrugated wall seem to confirm these predictions.
FLOW FOCUSING IN MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES
This paper presents numerical analysis of the hydrodynamic flow focusing in rectangular microchannels. The low Reynolds number pressure driven flow in symmetric system of crossed channels with three inlets and one outlet is investigated. The numerical model is used to elucidate the origin of broadening of the focused flow sheet observed experimentally close to the side walls of the outlet channel. It is found that the observed broadening is mainly due to the residual flow inertia and can be totally eliminated if flow Reynolds number is less than one.
Laminar heat or mass transfer in rectangular channels and in cylindrical tubes for fully developed flow: comparison of solutions obtained for various boundary conditions
Abstract A comparison is made of results obtained with various boundary conditions at the wall of the channels. By comparing blood Sherwood numbers for finite wall resistance with those for constant concentration boundary condition only a small variation is found for various points along the blood channel.