Flow rate measurements of binary gas mixtures through long trapezoidal microchannels

Abstract

The flow rate of two noble gas mixtures, namely He/Ar and He/Kr, is measured through a microsystem containing 400 long trapezoidal microchannels placed in parallel configuration. Each microchannel has a trapezoidal cross section with long base 5.38 micrometers and height 1.90 micrometers, while its length is 5000 micrometers. The experiment is based on the constant volume method. The flow is driven by pressure gradient. The flow rate measurements refer to downstream pressures of 15.1 kPa and 8.05 kPa. The pressure ratio is in the range of 3-7 and 4-7 for the larger and smaller downstream pressures, respectively. The investigated rarefaction range is in the slip and early transition regions. The concentration of He varies from zero to one. The measured flow rates are compared to the corresponding computational ones obtained by the numerical solution of the McCormack kinetic model. Very good agreement between the experimental and computational results is reached. The difference between the corresponding results is less than the experimental uncertainty. Typical pressure and concentration profiles along the axis and the velocity profiles in the center of the channel obtained from the numerical solution are also presented. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.