A Study of Microgravity on Fluid Transport Through Porous Structures in Microfluidic Devices
Author | : Sylvain Le Henaff |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 0 |
Release | : 2022 |
ISBN-10 | : OCLC:1350385755 |
ISBN-13 | : |
Rating | : 4/5 ( Downloads) |
Download or read book A Study of Microgravity on Fluid Transport Through Porous Structures in Microfluidic Devices written by Sylvain Le Henaff and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The objective of this study is to refine the understanding of micro-fluidics subject to micro-gravity in an attempt to support future space exploration efforts. A combination of experimental and numerical approaches were utilized to build a validated assessment approach. A quasi-pore geometry, inspired by CT scans of rat bones, was used in lieu of human bone structures. A quasi-1D assessment of the conservation of momentum was used to identify the dominant forces acting on the fluid at the operating length-scales. The dominant forces were surface tension, gravity, and shear stress. Experiments were conducted to visualize the flow moving through the quasi-pore geometry. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was used to create a corresponding model of the experiments in order to illicit further insight. The CFD models were validated by using micro-fluidic experiments. Once validated, the CFD model was also used to study micro-fluids in micro-gravity conditions. The results showed that gravity has a significant effect on the flow pattern of fluids through microfluidic porous features. The results can be correlated to the fluid flow through bone pores on Earth versus in micro-gravity. This suggests that interstitial fluid flow is influenced by the effects of micro-gravity leading to physiological changes in astronaut bones.