Technique for Quantitative Mapping of Three-Dimensional Liquid-Gas Phase Boundareis in Microchannel Flows

A diagnostic technique capable of characterizing interfaces between transparent, immiscible fluids is developed and demonstrated by investigating the morphology of liquid-gas interfaces in an adiabatic two-phase flow through a microchannel of 500 μm × 500 μm square cross section. Water seeded with 0.5 μm-diameter fluorescent polystyrene particles is pumped through the channel, and the desired adiabatic two-phase flow regime is achieved through controlled air injection. The diagnostic technique relies on obtaining particle position data through epifluorescent imaging of the flow at excitation and emission wavelengths of 532 nm and 620 nm, respectively. The particle position data are then used to resolve interface locations to within ±1 μm in the focal plane. By mapping the interface within individual focal planes at various depths within the channel, it is possible to determine the complete liquid-gas interface geometry across the channel cross section in a dynamic flow environment. Utilizing this approach, the liquid-gas phase boundaries of annular flows within a microchannel have been successfully characterized

Analysis of the Wicking and Thin-film Evaporation Characteristics of Microstructures

The topology and geometry of microstructures play a crucial role in determining their heat transfer performance in passive cooling devices such as heat pipes. It is therefore important to characterize microstructures based on their wicking performance, the thermal conduction resistance of the liquid filling the microstructure, and the thin-film characteristics of the liquid meniscus. In the present study, the free-surface shapes of the static liquid meniscus in common microstructures are modeled using SURFACE EVOLVER for zero Bond number. Four well-defined topologies, viz., surfaces with parallel rectangular ribs, horizontal parallel cylinders, vertically aligned cylinders, and spheres (the latter two in both square and hexagonal packing arrangements), are considered. Nondimensional capillary pressure, average distance of the liquid free-surface from solid walls (a measure of the conduction resistance of the liquid), total exposed area, and thin-film area are computed. These performance parameters are presented as functions of the nondimensional geometrical parameters characterizing the microstructures, the volume of the liquid filling the structure, and the contact angle between the liquid and solid. Based on these performance parameters, hexagonally-packed spheres on a surface are identified to be the most efficient microstructure geometry for wicking and thin-film evaporation. The solid-liquid contact angle and the nondimensional liquid volume that yield the best performance are also identified. The optimum liquid level in the wick pore that yields the highest capillary pressure and heat transfer is obtained by analyzing the variation in capillary pressure and heat transfer with liquid level and using an effective thermal resistance model for the wick

Experimental Study of Aerodynamic Damping in Arrays of Vibrating Cantilevers

Cantilever structures vibrating in a fluid are encountered in numerous engineering applications. The aerodynamic loading from a fluid can have a large effect on both the resonance frequency and damping, and has been the subject of numerous studies. The aerodynamic loading on a single beam is altered when multiple beams are configured in an array. In such situations, neighboring beams interact through the fluid and their dynamic behavior is modified. In this work, aerodynamic interactions between neighboring cantilever beams operating near their first resonance mode and vibrating at amplitudes comparable to their widths are experimentally explored. The degree to which two beams become coupled through the fluid is found to be sensitive to vibration amplitude and proximity of neighboring components in the array. The cantilever beams considered are slender piezoelectric fans (approximately 6 cm in length), and are caused to vibrate in-phase and out-of-phase at frequencies near their fundamental resonance values. Aerodynamic damping is expressed in terms of the quality factor for two different array configurations and estimated for both in-phase and out-of-phase conditions. The two array configurations considered are for neighboring fans placed face-to-face and edge-to-edge. It is found that the damping is greatly influenced by proximity of neighboring fans and phase difference. For the face-to-face configuration, a reduction in damping is observed for in-phase vibration, while it is greatly increased for out-of-phase vibration; the opposite effect is seen for the edge-to-edge configuration. The resonance frequencies also show a dependence on the phase difference, but these changes are small compared to those observed for damping. Correlations are developed based on the experimental data which can be used to predict the aerodynamic damping in arrays of vibrating cantilevers. The distance at which the beams no longer interact is quantified for both array configurations. Understanding the fluid interactions between neighboring vibrating beams is essential for predicting the dynamic behavior of such arrays and designing them for practical applications

Positioning sustainable development as a people's programme -the institutional response

Institutionalization and intervention strategies today have come to playa major role in the publicdiscourse. This is a truism of environmental law especially in the third world which is trying to keeppace with the global economic development while also carrying the burden of environmental degradationheritage that was passed on by the unscrupulous development strategies, both indigenous andtransnational. Developing countries today are increasingly indulging in redrafting their economicpolicies within the language of environmental conservation.Thankfully in India, this redrafting has been conditioned by a conversation between the institutions ofgovernance, the judiciary and most importantly organized groups of the public. Policies and policyimplementation in India have been the results of this conversation.My paper brings out instances of how such conversation can be an effective instrument in makingsustainable development an achievable goal. Today in India environment and sustainable developmenthave become a people's programme which is not just aimed at drawingj udicial attention but translatingsuch judicial directions into achievable programmes. I highlight here an example of organized groupactivity making sustainable development not just a constitutional guarantee but a people's movementfor better life.The judicial statement in Tarun Bharat Sangh Vs. Union ofIndia (AIR 1992 SC 514) is a reflection ofsustainable development becoming a campaign. The court said, "Litigation should not be treated asthe usual adversariall itigation. Petitioners are acting in aid of a purpose high on the national agenda.Petitioners concern for the environment, ecology, and the wi IdIife should be shared by the government".This statement sums up the philosophy of public life today, a conversation between the institutions inthe society today.Such conversation has a demonstrable effect in environmental policy today. Today the administrativepol icies are directed at insisting environmental audit of every econom ic activity.

An Optical Approach for Quantitative Characterization of Slug Bubble Interface Profiles in a Two-Phase Microchannel Flow

A new measurement technique is developed for quantitatively mapping the liquid-gas interface profiles of air bubbles in an adiabatic microchannel slug flow environment. Water seeded with 0.5 μm-diameter fluorescent polystyrene particles is pumped through a single acrylic microchannel of 500 μm × 500 μm square cross section. A periodic slug flow is achieved by the controlled injection of air into the channel. Particles are constrained to the liquid phase, and their distribution in the flow is visualized through an optical microscope in an epifluorescent configuration with pulsed laser illumination to resolve the instantaneous liquid-gas interface profile to within ±2.8 μm in the focal plane. This approach is able to identify the interface profile within individual focal planes at various depths within the channel, unlike conventional backlit optical profile detection approaches that can only resolve the interface at the midplane. A similar particle-tracking technique was previously demonstrated for interface reconstruction in annular flows; however, the additional noise within images due to the reflection and refraction of background light at the compound-curvature interfaces characteristic of slug bubbles requires texture-based image analysis to obtain interface profiles. The varying interface profile of the slug bubbles in the streamwise direction also greatly complicates the tracking procedures for achieving a three-dimensional reconstruction of slug bubbles based on the measured two-dimensional interface profiles, which requires spatial alignment of the streamwise position of liquid-vapor interfaces realized at varying depths within the channel. This is addressed during reconstruction by using the measured mid-plane slug bubble cap curvature to assign the relative streamwise positions of interface profiles obtained at other measured depths. The characterization of two different selected bubble morphologies presented here demonstrates a critical improvement in metrological capability which can provide greater insight into microchannel flow phenomena in the slug-flow regime

Sensitivity Analysis of a Comprehensive Model for a Miniature-Scale Linear Compressor for Electronics Cooling

A comprehensive model of a linear compressor for electronics cooling was previously presented by Bradshaw et al. (2011). The current study expands upon this work by first developing methods for predicting the resonant frequency of a linear compressor and for controlling its piston stroke. Key parameters governing compressor performance – leakage gap, eccentricity, and piston geometry – are explored using a sensitivity analysis. It is demonstrated that for optimum performance, the leakage gap and frictional parameters should be minimized. In addition, the ratio of piston stroke to diameter should not exceed a value of one to minimize friction and leakage losses, but should be large enough to preclude the need for an oversized motor. An improved linear compressor design is proposed for an electronics cooling application, with a predicted cooling capacity of 200 W a cylindrical compressor package size of diameter 50.3 mm and length 102 mm

Droplets on Soft Surfaces Exhibit a Reluctance to Coalesce due to an Intervening Wetting Ridge

Microscale interactions with deformable substrates are of fundamental interest for studying self-assembly processes and the mobility of cells on soft surfaces, with applications in traction force microscopy. The behavior of microscale water droplets on a soft polymer substrate is investigated. Droplets formed by condensation on the soft substrate are reluctant to coalesce, which leads to coverage of the surface with clusters of droplets assembled in a honeycomb-like pattern. Cryogenically fixed in this state, scanning electron microscopy of these droplets reveals the presence of an intervening wetting ridge of the polymer that acts as a barrier between neighboring droplets and prevents coalescence. A linear elastic deformation model is developed to predict this surface profile and corroborate the observed behavior