CFD-based Study of Velocity Distribution among Multiple Parallel Microchannels

Abstract

A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was used to calculate the velocity distribution among multiple parallel microchannels with triangle manifolds. The influences of structural parameters on velocity distribution among microchannels were analyzed. The simulation results showed that the velocity distribution became more uniform with larger microchannel length, depth or smaller width. Larger horizontal ordinate, longitudinal ordinate and radius of inlet/outlet, smaller lengths of bottom and side of symmetrical manifolds could favor obtaining narrow velocity distribution among microchannels. Symmetrical manifold structure could achieve more uniform velocity distribution among microchannels than that asymmetrical manifold structure.