Abstract
The flow characteristics of the two-phase flows in a 100μm circular horizontal microchannel have been investigated experimentally and analytically. In the experiments, nitrogen gas and one of four liquids (distilled water and 4.8, 49, 100wt% ethanol in water) were injected through a T-junction type mixer to the microchannel, having smaller diameter than that of the mixer. Both quasi-homogeneous flow and quasi-separated flow was observed depending on gas and liquid flow rates. Furthermore, the data on void faction, frictional pressure drop and interfacial friction force were found to be larger in the quasi-homogeneous flow than the quasi-separated one. In the analysis, empirical correlations of the gas-liquid interfacial friction force were developed respectively for the quasi-homogeneous and the quasi-separated flows.
