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

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 co...

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Main Authors: Aditya Hadalahally Raveesh, Sravani Vemulapalli, Alankrit Gupta, Santhosh Krishnan Venkata, Bhagya Rajesh Navada
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Computation
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3197/12/11/211
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author Aditya Hadalahally Raveesh
Sravani Vemulapalli
Alankrit Gupta
Santhosh Krishnan Venkata
Bhagya Rajesh Navada
author_facet Aditya Hadalahally Raveesh
Sravani Vemulapalli
Alankrit Gupta
Santhosh Krishnan Venkata
Bhagya Rajesh Navada
author_sort Aditya Hadalahally Raveesh
collection DOAJ
description 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 (T<sub>1</sub>, T<sub>2</sub>, T<sub>3</sub>), 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.
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institution OA Journals
issn 2079-3197
language English
publishDate 2024-10-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Computation
spelling doaj-art-1194db9596c040479cea250dd4a2efba2025-08-20T02:28:08ZengMDPI AGComputation2079-31972024-10-01121121110.3390/computation12110211Design and Analysis of a Thermal Flowmeter for Microfluidic Applications: A Study on Sensitivity at Low Flow RatesAditya Hadalahally Raveesh0Sravani Vemulapalli1Alankrit Gupta2Santhosh Krishnan Venkata3Bhagya Rajesh Navada4Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology Bengaluru, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, IndiaDepartment of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology Bengaluru, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, IndiaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Karnataka Surathkal, Mangalore 575025, IndiaDepartment of Instrumentation and Control Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, IndiaDepartment of Instrumentation and Control Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, IndiaTo 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 (T<sub>1</sub>, T<sub>2</sub>, T<sub>3</sub>), 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3197/12/11/211thermal microflow sensor (TµFS)flow rate measurementcalorimetric principlemicroelectromechanical system (MEMS)drug delivery
spellingShingle Aditya Hadalahally Raveesh
Sravani Vemulapalli
Alankrit Gupta
Santhosh Krishnan Venkata
Bhagya Rajesh Navada
Design and Analysis of a Thermal Flowmeter for Microfluidic Applications: A Study on Sensitivity at Low Flow Rates
Computation
thermal microflow sensor (TµFS)
flow rate measurement
calorimetric principle
microelectromechanical system (MEMS)
drug delivery
title Design and Analysis of a Thermal Flowmeter for Microfluidic Applications: A Study on Sensitivity at Low Flow Rates
title_full Design and Analysis of a Thermal Flowmeter for Microfluidic Applications: A Study on Sensitivity at Low Flow Rates
title_fullStr Design and Analysis of a Thermal Flowmeter for Microfluidic Applications: A Study on Sensitivity at Low Flow Rates
title_full_unstemmed Design and Analysis of a Thermal Flowmeter for Microfluidic Applications: A Study on Sensitivity at Low Flow Rates
title_short Design and Analysis of a Thermal Flowmeter for Microfluidic Applications: A Study on Sensitivity at Low Flow Rates
title_sort design and analysis of a thermal flowmeter for microfluidic applications a study on sensitivity at low flow rates
topic thermal microflow sensor (TµFS)
flow rate measurement
calorimetric principle
microelectromechanical system (MEMS)
drug delivery
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3197/12/11/211
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