Numerical investigation of slip flows through 2-d u-shaped microchannels

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Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) offer vast applications and those involving fluid flow/gas flows typically operate in the slip flow regime, where the normal non-slip condition assumptions for boundary conditions are not valid. In this study, two-dimensional numerical simulations of continuum and slip flows for U-shaped microchannels were performed to evaluate flow characteristics by means of the ANSYS-FLUENT software. In order to model slip condition existing at the solid-liquid interface of microchannels, a user defined subroutine was linked to the software. The effect of Reynolds number and geometric parameters such as the bend shape and the distance between legs on fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics were examined in detail. The computational results showed that increasing either the slip length or Reynolds number decreased the average friction factor, while the distance between legs does not have any effect on it. Moreover, it was found that the averaged Nusselt number would increase with Reynolds number and the slip length, but increasing the distance between legs decreased the averaged Nu for square bend compared to its negligible increase for circular bend.