Abstract
An analytical solution for a vertically stratified viscous flow in a microchannel with a rectangular cross-section is constructed, assuming fully developed laminar flow where the interfaces between the fluid layers are flat. Although the solution is for n-layer flow, restricted results to symmetrical three-layer flow are presented to investigate the effects of the viscosity and thickness ratios of the fluid layers and the aspect ratio of the microchannel on the flow field. Relations between the flow rate and thickness ratios of the fluid layers with varying viscosity distributions are found, considering the cross -sectional velocity profiles which vary noticeably with the three parameters and differ significantly from the velocity profiles of the flow between infinite parallel plates. Interfacial instability induced by the viscosity stratification in the microchannel is discussed referring to previous studies on the instability analysis for plane multilayer flow. Exact solution derived in the present study can be used for examining a diffusion process and three -dimensional stability analysis. More works are needed to formulate the equations including the effects of interfacial` tension between immiscible liquids and surface wettability which are important in microscale transport phenomena.
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