PSP Measurement in Microchannel Flow

Fluid mechanics on the micro scale is an important subject for researchers who are interested in studying micro devices since physical phenomena change from macro to micro scale. Channel flow is a fundamental topic for fluid mechanics. By using pressure-sensitive paint (PSP), detailed pressure data can be obtained inside the microchannel and at the channel entrance. PSP measurements are obtained for various pressure ratios from 1.76 to 20 with Knudsen (Kn) number changes from 0.006 to 0.8. Compressibility and rarefaction effects can be seen in the pressure data inside the microchannel and at the channel entrance.