Laminar drag reduction in microchannels using ultrahydrophobic surfaces

A series of experiments is presented which demonstrate significant drag reduction for the laminar flow of water through microchannels using hydrophobic surfaces with well-defined micron-sized surface roughness. These ultrahydrophobic surfaces are fabricated from silicon wafers using photolithography and are designed to incorporate precise patterns of microposts and microridges which are made hydrophobic through a chemical reaction with an organosilane. An experimental flow cell is used to measure the pressure drop as a function of the flow rate for a series of microchannel geometries and ultrahydrophobic surface designs. Pressure drop reductions up to 40% and apparent slip lengths larger than 20 μm are obtained using ultrahydrophobic surfaces. No drag reduction is observed for smooth hydrophobic surfaces. A confocal surface metrology system was used to measure the deflection of an air–water interface that is formed between microposts and supported by surface tension. This shear-free interface reduces the ...

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