Flow characteristics of ferrofluid in a microchannel with patterned blocks

• The thermal flow characteristics of ferrofluid in microchannel were numerically investigated.
• The Kelvin force by magnetic field affected the thermal flow behaviors of ferrofluid.
• The magnetic fields lead to the secondary flow of ferrofluid in patterned microchannel.
• These flow patterns enhanced the thermal performance.
• The rectangular blocks in the microchannel play effective roles in thermal performance.

The thermal flow characteristics of a ferrofluid under magnetic field effects in a microchannel were investigated with different patterned blocks of rectangular and triangular configurations, which were mounted on the top and bottom wall surfaces alternately. Also, the effects of external magnetic fields of different orientations on the thermal behaviors of the ferrofluid in the modeled microchannel were numerically investigated. The results showed that the external magnetic field critically affected the heat transfer performances of the ferrofluid because the generated pressure gradients of the ferrofluid flow changed with strength and orientation of the external magnetic field. Using these phenomena, we could control the heat transfer processes of the ferrofluid flow in the modeled microchannel.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide