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
Affiliations
Aditya Hadalahally Raveesh
Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology Bengaluru, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India
Sravani Vemulapalli
Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology Bengaluru, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India
Alankrit Gupta
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Karnataka Surathkal, Mangalore 575025, India
Santhosh Krishnan Venkata
Department of Instrumentation and Control Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India
Bhagya Rajesh Navada
Department of Instrumentation and Control Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, India
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.
