Numerical simulation and experimental investigation of gas-liquid two-phase flow in a complex microchannel

The present investigation evaluated a microchannel with variable cross sections and internal elements by experimental and numerical methods. The numerical and experimental phase interface of gas-liquid two-phase flow is captured through the Coupled Level-Set and Volume-Of-Fraction (CLSVOF) method and the canny edge detection method, respectively. The microchannel is analysed with different baffle angles (bending angle of the baffle, BA), and the optimal BA is chosen. The optimization goal is to increase the area of high-shear region and reduce the area of other region. Experiments involving the microchannel with optimal 67.5° BA are conducted. The experimental results confirm the microchannel mixing potency that the optimal structure of the high-shear region accelerates the fluid velocity, amplifies disturbances resulting from the merging of different gas phases and promotes the expansion of the turbulent domain.