Microchannel Pressure Measurements Using Molecular Sensors

Fluid mechanics on the microscale is an important subject for researchers who are interested in studying microdevices since physical phenomena change from macroscale to microscale. Channel flow is a fundamental topic for fluid mechanics. By using a molecular sensor known as pressure-sensitive paint (PSP), detailed pressure data can be obtained inside the microchannel and at the channel entrance. The achievable spatial resolution of the acquired pressure map can be as high as 5 mum. PSP measurements are obtained for various pressure ratios from 1.76 to 20, with Knudsen number (K n) varying from 0.003 to 0.4. Compressibility and rarefaction effects can be seen in the pressure data inside the microchannel and at the channel entrance.