3327 Measurement of Unsteady Flow Characteristics of Micro Flow Meter
Details
A unique micro flow meter for measuring small unsteady liquid flow rate is fabricated by microstereolithography. It consists of an impeller, 500μm in radius, and a casing. The measurement is based on counting of rotations of the micro impeller installed in a micro channel. Its flow characteristics are examined by means of micro PIV. It is shown that the installation of the micro flow meter causes little additional pressure loss. There is a good linearity between the flow rate and the rotation speed counted in the range of 5-25mL/min. The dynamic response is evaluated to be about 0.25s, which is short enough to make measurement of unsteady flows. Time-averaged velocity distribution in the micro flow meter is obtained by the micro PIV technique. It is revealed that the velocity difference between the straight section and the semicircle section of the casing is the key for the initiation of impeller rotation.
