Design and Analysis of a Thermal Flowmeter for Microfluidic Applications: A Study on Sensitivity at Low Flow Rates

Aditya Hadalahally Raveesh, Sravani Vemulapalli*, Alankrit Gupta, Santhosh Krishnan Venkata*, Bhagya Rajesh Navada

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

To address the challenge of precise flow rate measurement in microchannels, this research details the conceptualization and comprehensive evaluation of a thermal flowmeter which works on the principle of calorimetry for measuring small flow rates between 0.1 and 180 mL/h. The thermal flowmeter is composed of a silicone pipe, a heater, three platinum thermal sensors (T1, T2, T3), and water as the working fluid. The flowmeter is strategically placed to monitor the complex thermodynamics between upstream and downstream flows. The analysis revealed a notable decay in the slope of the temperature differences beyond a flow rate of 40 mL/h, indicating the exceptional sensitivity of the device at lower flow rates and making it an ideal choice for medical applications. Parametric analysis was also carried out to place the sensors at optimized locations for better sensitivity.

Original languageEnglish
Article number211
JournalComputation
Volume12
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11-2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Theoretical Computer Science
  • General Computer Science
  • Modelling and Simulation
  • Applied Mathematics

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