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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

capillary action, rectangular micro-channel, fluid flow

College

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Abstract

The study of fluid flow on a microscale has become of increasing interest in recent years. We have studied the effects of capillary action in a micro-channel with a rectangular cross-section having a large width to height ratio. In general, capillary action allows fluid to fill a horizontally oriented tube smaller than the capillary length (on the order of 2 mm in water). When the far end of such a tube is capped, typically the fluid is drawn through the tube until it meets a pressure field that is equal but opposite of the surface tension force. We have found that when the capillary cross-section is rectangular with a large width to height ratio, the fluid can pass by the pressure field on the narrower sides of the capillary allowing fluid to move into the narrow gap while leaving pockets of air in the wake (figure 1).

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