Numerical Study on Characteristics of Convection and Temperature Evolution in Microchannel of Thermal Flowmeter

Abstract

During practical usage, thermal flowmeters have a limited range of applications. The present work investigates the factors influencing thermal flowmeter measurements and observes the effects of buoyancy convection and forced convection on the flow rate measurement sensitivity. The results show that the gravity level, inclination angle, channel height, mass flow rate, and heating power affect the flow rate measurements by influencing the flow pattern and the temperature distribution. Gravity determines the generation of convective cells, while the inclination angle affects the location of the convective cells. Channel height affects the flow pattern and temperature distribution. Higher sensitivity can be achieved with smaller mass flow rates or higher heating power. According to the combined influence of the aforementioned parameters, the present work investigates the flow transition based on the Reynolds number and the Grashof number. When the Reynolds number is below the critical value corresponding to the Grashof number, convective cells emerge and affect the accuracy of flowmeter measurements. The research on influencing factors and flow transition presented in this paper has potential implications for the design and manufacture of thermal flowmeters under different working conditions.

Keywords

• numerical simulation
• thermal flowmeter
• forced convection
• buoyancy convection
• microchannel heat source