The entrance effect on gases flow characteristics in micro-tube

Entrance region may have important effect on gases flow characteristics in micro-channels. It’s concluded in the available papers that the entrance effect causes significant difference. An experimental system of single-phase gas flow characteristics in microchannels was set up. Flow characteristics of nitrogen in PEEK polymer micro-tube (hydraulic diameter is 553µm) was studied experimentally. According to the data of nitrogen flow in the micro-tube with the length ranging from 0.1m to1.524m, it is shown that the friction constant becomes higher when the tube becomes shorter. By using pipe cutting methods, it’s confirmed that entrance effect is one of the key factors that cause friction constant higher than conventional theory. It’s found that friction constant of fully developed flow is lower than the value predicted by conventional theory in turbulent region. The result indicates that the flow transition occurs at Reynolds number ranging from 1600–2000. The phenomenon of obvious early transition is not found.