Input Flow Rate Research Articles

Encapsulation of Phenolic Compounds Extracted from Beet By-Products: Analysis of Physical and Chemical Properties.

Beet is a nutritious and health-promoting food with important bioactive compounds in its industrial by-products. The encapsulation of antioxidants from beet by-products has been proposed for valorization. For this, an ethanol-water extract was mixed with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) (used as a carrier agent) and then encapsulated. The encapsulation was performed by spray drying, where the effects of temperature (140-160 °C), extract input flow rate (10-30%), and extraction solvent (ethanol-water 50/50 v/v and ethanol) were evaluated for the total phenol content and the spray-drying yield. The yields obtained were between 60 and 89%, and total phenols were between 136 and 1026 mg gallic acid equivalents/g of encapsulated product. Both responses were affected (p < 0.05) by the extraction solvent. The optimal spray-drying conditions were determined by response surface methodology (RSM). The encapsulated product obtained at optimal conditions was characterized by infrared spectrometry, X-ray fluorescence, Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography, and scanning electron microscopy analysis. The results show that the encapsulated product has a high content of total phenols and compounds such as betanin, isobetanin, and neobetanin. Considering the results of physicochemical properties and the bioactive compounds, the optimized encapsulated product could be applied in the food industry as a bioactive ingredient or natural colorant. However, the further investigation of alternative carrier agents needs to be performed to reduce caking.

Reinforcement learning based temperature control of a fermentation bioreactor for ethanol production.

Ethanol production is a significant industrial bioprocess for energy. The primary objective of this study is to control the process reactor temperature to get the desired product, that is, ethanol. Advanced model-based control systems face challenges due to model-process mismatch, but Reinforcement Learning (RL) is a class of machine learning which can help by allowing agents to learn policies directly from the environment. Hence a RL algorithm called twin delayed deep deterministic policy gradient (TD3) is employed. The control of reactor temperature is categorized into two categories namely unconstrained and constrained control approaches. The TD3 with various reward functions are tested on a nonlinear bioreactor model. The results are compared with existing popular RL algorithm, namely, deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) algorithm with a performance measure such as mean squared error (MSE). In the unconstrained control of the bioreactor, the TD3 based controller designed with the integral absolute error (IAE) reward yields a lower MSE of 0.22, whereas the DDPG produces an MSE of 0.29. Similarly, in the case of constrained controller, TD3 based controller designed with the IAE reward yields a lower MSE of 0.38, whereas DDPG produces an MSE of 0.48. In addition, the TD3 trained agent successfully rejects the disturbances, namely, input flow rate and inlet temperature in addition to a setpoint change with better performance metrics.

Design, economic analysis, and environmental assessment of an innovative municipal solid waste-based multigeneration system integrating LNG cold utilization and seawater desalination

This paper presents a novel integrated solution for harnessing energy from biomass alongside liquefied natural gas cooling. The process is investigated and evaluated in various scenarios. This integrated system yields electricity, hydrogen, cold water, hot water, and fresh water. Thermodynamic analysis of the process is conducted under different scenarios. Moreover, the overall environmental damage effectiveness factor is calculated using exergo-environmental evaluation, revealing that heat exchanger E-103 exhibits the highest effectiveness factor of environmental damage, with an exergy efficiency of 37.3 %. Simulation results indicate an overall energy efficiency and overall exergy efficiency of 58.24 % and 31.97 %, respectively. Energy efficiencies of the process are found to be 32.15 %, 34.85 %, 36.71 %, and 58.24 % in single generation, combined heat and power, combined cooling, heating, and power, and multi-generation scenarios, respectively. The study evaluates the simultaneous effects of pressure and flow rate variations of liquefied natural gas fluid, input flow rate variations of municipal solid waste biomass, and cyclohexane working fluid pressure variations in the organic Rankine cycle on other variables. Finally, an economic evaluation of the new process outlines its annual cost and the levelized energy cost parameter under base design conditions, which amount to 9,383,042 $ and 0.092 $/kWh, respectively.

Flow Field Simulation of a Hydrogeological Exploration Drill Bit for Switching between Coring Drilling and Non-Coring Drilling

Drilling is one of the most commonly used techniques in hydrogeological exploration and is employed to obtain rock samples and create boreholes. During conventional drilling, it is necessary to raise all the drilling tools in the borehole when switching between coring drilling and non-coring drilling, which causes large auxiliary operation time consumption and poor drilling efficiency. Based on the structure of wireline coring tools, a large diameter modular drill bit was designed to switch between coring drilling and non-coring drilling without lifting the whole set of drilling tools. In the COMSOL simulation environment, a simulation model of the modular bit was constructed. Drilling fluid velocity and pressure characteristics flowing through the modular bit were studied. According to the analysis results, with the same input flow rate, similar velocities and lower pressure loss can be obtained in non-coring drilling as with the coring bit, and thus drilling cuttings can be removed effectively even if there are more cuttings produced in non-coring drilling than in coring drilling for a borehole drilled at the same diameter. When the outside diameter of the modular bit is 216 mm, the recommended clearance value is 9 mm or 10 mm in order to obtain lower pressure loss and larger diameter core. To generate low pressure loss and ensure bit strength, a layout with four nozzles on the internal non-coring bit is recommended. The modular bit enables fast switching between coring drilling and non-coring drilling without raising the drilling tools. The simulation model can be used for drilling parameter selection and drill bit optimization.

High-Speed Generation of Microbubbles with Constant Cumulative Production in a Glass Capillary Microfluidic Bubble Generator.

This work reports a simple bubble generator for the high-speed generation of microbubbles with constant cumulative production. To achieve this, a gas-liquid co-flowing microfluidic device with a tiny capillary orifice as small as 5 μm is fabricated to produce monodisperse microbubbles. The diameter of the microbubbles can be adjusted precisely by tuning the input gas pressure and flow rate of the continuous liquid phase. The co-flowing structure ensures the uniformity of the generated microbubbles, and the surfactant in the liquid phase prevents coalescence of the collected microbubbles. The diameter coefficient of variation (CV) of the generated microbubbles can reach a minimum of 1.3%. Additionally, the relationship between microbubble diameter and the gas channel orifice is studied using the low Capillary number (Ca) and Weber number (We) of the liquid phase. Moreover, by maintaining a consistent gas input pressure, the CV of the cumulative microbubble volume can reach 3.6% regardless of the flow rate of the liquid phase. This method not only facilitates the generation of microbubbles with morphologic stability under variable flow conditions, but also ensures that the cumulative microbubble production over a certain period of time remains constant, which is important for the volume-dominated application of chromatographic analysis and the component analysis of natural gas.

GNN-Based Concentration Prediction With Variable Input Flow Rates for Microfluidic Mixers.

Recent years have witnessed significant advances brought by microfluidic biochips in automating biochemical protocols. Accurate preparation of fluid samples is an essential component of these protocols, where concentration prediction and generation are critical. Equipped with the advantages of convenient fabrication and control, microfluidic mixers demonstrate huge potential in sample preparation. Although finite element analysis (FEA) is the most commonly used simulation method for accurate concentration prediction of a given microfluidic mixer, it is time-consuming with poor scalability for large biochip sizes. Recently, machine learning models have been adopted in concentration prediction, with great potential in enhancing the efficiency over traditional FEA methods. However, the state-of-the-art machine learning-based method can only predict the concentration of mixers with fixed input flow rates and fixed sizes. In this paper, we propose a new concentration prediction method based on graph neural networks (GNNs), which can predict output concentrations for microfluidic mixters with variable input flow rates. Moreover, a transfer learning method is proposed to transfer the trained model to mixers of different sizes with reduced training data. Experimental results show that, for microfluidic mixers with fixed input flow rates, the proposed method obtains an average reduction of 88% in terms of prediction errors compared with the state-of-the-art method. For microfluidic mixers with variable input flow rates, the proposed method reduces the prediction error by 85% on average. Besides, the proposed transfer learning method reduces the training data by 84% for extending the pre-trained model for microfluidic mixers of different sizes with acceptable prediction error.

Modeling and simulation of biodiesel synthesis in fixed bed and packed bed membrane reactors using heterogeneous catalyst: a comparative study

In this study, modeling and simulation of biodiesel synthesis through transesterification of triglyceride (TG) over a heterogeneous catalyst in a packed bed membrane reactor (PBMR) was performed using a solid catalyst and compared with a fixed bed reactor (FBR). The kinetic data for the transesterification reaction of canola oil and methanol in the presence of solid tungstophosphoric acid catalyst was extracted from the published open literature. The effect of reaction temperature, feed flow rate, disproportionation of the reactants, and reactor length on the product performance was investigated. Two-dimensional and heterogeneous modeling was applied to PBMR and the resultant equations were solved by the Matlab software. Moreover, the velocity profile in the membrane reactor was obtained. The results showed the best conditions for this reaction are 180 °C, the molar ratio of methanol to oil equal 15:1, and the input flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. In this condition, a conversion of 99.94% for the TG can be achieved in the PBMR with a length of 86 cm while a length of 2.75 m is required to achieve this conversion of the FBR. Finally, the energy consumption for the production of 8000 ton/y biodiesel in a production plant using the PBMR and the FBR was obtained as is 1313.24 and 1352.44 kW, respectively.

Design and dynamic characteristics of automatic vertical drilling tool

Higher performance is needed in deeper and longer horizontal wellbore drilling. In vertical drilling conditions, wellbore trajectory often be led to deviation due to objective conditions. Based on the engineering issues, this paper presents a new automatic vertical drilling tool, including the innovative design and working mechanism research. This tool working mechanism are carried out, such as the mechanics model of eccentric tube and the relationships between eccentric torque and deflection angle. The eccentric tube torque increases with the wellbore deviation angle. When wellbore deviation angle is constant, the eccentric tube torque reaches maximum value when its deflection angle is 90°. The internal flow parameters are studied by fluid field simulation, such as drilling fluid flow rate, pressure drop, and pressure distribution inside this tool during downhole drilling process. The larger the diameter of switch hole, the higher is the pressure drop around, which leads to the force on push block increasing. The drilling fluid pressure increases with higher input flow rate inside this tool. The comparison of results, the data of simulation and theoretical model calculations, verified the reliability and accuracy of research. This study has provided innovative ideas and reference for drilling tool design and wellbore trajectory control methods.

Development of Electrochemical Microtextured Cell for Fabrication of Complex Micropattern

Introduction: This paper highlights the representative patents related to the application of maskless electrochemical micromachining (EMM) using microtextured tools and developed cells under electrolysis conditions for the generation of high-quality complex patterns, i.e., cascade micropattern on stainless steel. background: Electrochemical Microtextured Cell Method: To acquire high accuracy level, the workpiece and tools are fixtured properly in the developed microtextured cell, and a developed vertical cross-flow system is utilized for the generation of a precise cascade micropattern. An electrochemical microtextured cell is designed and developed inexpensively for the fabrication of high-quality complex micropatterns. The eco-friendly combined electrolyte of NaNO3 and NaCl is employed for precise micro texturing. Result: The consequence of predominant input factors, i.e., IEG, voltage, and flow rate, are explored on machining rate, precision, depth, and surface finish during complex micro-texturing using developed microtextured cells. The complex microtextured tool is fixtured in tool holding device in a developed microtextured cell and fabricates nineteen precise complex micropatterns. Conclusion: An effort has been made to find suitable input factors for the generation of precise complex micropatterns.

Analysis of the Impact of Hydraulic Gates on a Stabilized Tidal Inlet Structure: Mathematical Model and Data Measurements

Tidal inlet structures are engineering projects with associated benefits related to flood control, water quality enhancement, and coastal protection. This study analyzes the performance of hydraulic gates on a stabilized inlet in estuarine systems by developing a simplified hydraulic model that considers inlet and outlet water levels. The proposed model was applied to the stabilized tidal inlet structure in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. This model offers a practical tool for engineers and designers operating estuarine systems. The analysis focuses on the coastal lagoon of Ciénaga de la Virgen. The proposed model was successfully calibrated using two water sensors, with extreme input and outlet flow rates of approximately 260 m3/s and 110 m3/s, respectively. The average daily output volume in the system is 3,361,000 m3, while the average daily input volume is 3,200,000 m3. Consequently, the manipulation of the opening gates results in a decrease in the estuarine water level, potentially by as much as 25 cm, which local authorities can use to make decisions to reduce extreme water levels during flooding events.

Heat and mass transfer simulation of the microwave-assisted toluene desorption for activated carbons regeneration

The low cost and high efficiency of microwave-assisted regeneration render it a viable alternative to conventional regeneration methods. To enhance the regeneration performance, we developed a coupled electromagnetic, heat, and mass transfer model to investigate the heat and mass transfer mechanisms of activated carbon during microwave-assisted regeneration. Simulation results demonstrated that the toluene desorption process is governed by temperature distribution. Changing the input power and flow rate can promote the intensity of hot spots and adjust their distribution, respectively, thereby accelerating toluene desorption, inhibiting readsorption, and promoting regeneration efficiency. Ultimately, controlling the input power and flow rate can flexibly adjust toluene emissions to satisfy the processing demands of desorbed toluene. Taken together, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the heat and mass transfer mechanisms of microwave-assisted regeneration and insights into adsorbent regeneration.

Variable‐volume accelerated system to evaluate the carbaryl biodegradation dynamics of a microbial community by differential analysis

AbstractBACKGROUNDOne of the continuous cultivation methods for acquiring quantitative data on microbial metabolism under various environmental conditions within a single experiment is the accelerostat culture system (A‐stat). It allows the rapid analysis and quantitative evaluation of the effect of environmental on the functional response of microorganisms, which is reflected by the cultural biokinetic parameters. In a classical accelerostat system, equipment and control programs maintain a constant acceleration (a) of the culture's dilution rate D[t] = Do + at. Unlike the conventional A‐stat, in which a linear change in the dilution rate is obtained, a new variant, here named a variable‐volume accelerated (VVA) system, the acceleration is variable (a = f[t]); thus, D[t] = Do + a[t]. This system requires minimal manual intervention and presents operational advantages over the classical A‐stat; the reactor's D[t] change is achieved under a simple condition: the input and output flow rates are unequal; Fin ≠ Fout.RESULTSUsing carbaryl as a study model, the dynamic behavior of the VVA system was evaluated by differential analysis of the experimental data obtained by cultivating a carbaryl‐degrading microbial community. Mathematical analysis of the VVA system established the acceleration profile a[t] for the study, quantifying the impact of dilution rate on the microbial community's biokinetic and stoichiometric parameters.CONCLUSIONThe VVA system allowed observation of the effect of the D[t] gradient on the rate of change of kinetic parameters that define the physiological state of the microbial culture, together with the microbial community's macromolecular composition. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Investigation on submicron particle separation and deflection using tilted-angle standing surface acoustic wave microfluidics

With the development of in vitro diagnostics, extracting submicron scale particles from mixed body fluids samples is crucial. In recent years, microfluidic separation has attracted much attention due to its high efficiency, label-free, and inexpensive nature. Among the microfluidic-based separation, the separation based on ultrasonic standing waves has gradually become a powerful tool. A microfluid environment containing a tilted-angle ultrasonic standing surface acoustic wave (taSSAW) field has been widely adapted and designed to separate submicron particles for biochemical applications. This paper investigated submicron particle defection in microfluidics using taSSAWs analytically. Particles with 0.1–1 μm diameters were analyzed under acoustic pressure, flow rate, tilted angle, and SSAW frequency. According to different acoustic radiation forces acting on the particles, the motion of large-diameter particles was more likely to deflect to the direction of the nodal lines. Decreasing the input flow rate or increasing acoustic pressure and acoustic wave frequency can improve particle deflection. The tilted angle can be optimized by analyzing the simulation results. Based on the simulation analysis, we experimentally showed the separation of polystyrene microspheres (100 nm) from the mixed particles and exosomes (30–150 nm) from human plasma. This research results can provide a certain reference for the practical design of bioparticle separation utilizing acoustofluidic devices.

Simulation and Analysis of a Split Drill Bit for Pneumatic DTH Hammer Percussive Rotary Drilling

Reverse circulation impact drilling has the advantages of high drilling efficiency and less dust, which can effectively form holes in hard rock and gravel layer. As integral reverse circulation drill bits used in the conventional down-the-hole (DTH) hammers are only suitable for specific formations, the whole set of DTH hammer needs to be replaced when drilling different formations. In this paper, several types of split drill bits for different drilling technologies are designed. The flow field characteristics of one of the split drill bits is analyzed based on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method, with four technic parameters considered, which are input flow rate, number of inlet holes, angle of injection exhaust holes, and diameter of injection exhaust holes, respectively. Three parameters are selected as indicators to evaluate the rationality and performance of the split drill bit, which are injection exhaust hole outlet mass flow rate, ratio of the mass flow rate out of injection exhaust holes to the whole inlet mass flow rate, and maximum pressure at the upper end of the split drill bit. According to the CFD analysis results, the above four technic parameters influence the flow rate and pressure in different rules. Considering the injection capacity, pressure loss, and bit strength, inlet holes of 10, injection exhaust holes with an angle of 50°, and injection exhaust holes with a diameter of 12 mm are recommended to obtain ideal reverse circulation. Different types of split drill bits were manufactured, and drilling experiments were carried out in unconsolidated formations. The maximum drilling rate can reach 1.5 m/min in the drilling experiments. The split drill bit proposed in this paper exhibits excellent adaptability for reverse circulation drilling in loose formations.

Exact formulas for Markov retrial queues controlled by hysteresis strategies

This paper examines the Markov model for multiserver retrial queues with an input flow rate that depends on the number of calls in orbit and is controlled by hysteresis strategies. The system consists of n identical servers. If an incoming call finds a free server, it occupies it and is served for an exponentially distributed time. If all servers are busy upon arrival, the call joins the orbit and returns for service after a random period of time. The system's service process is described by a three-dimensional continuous-time Markov chain. We first establish the conditions for the existence of a stationary regime. Next, we provide exact vector-matrix formulas for steady-state probabilities. Our investigative technique is based on approximating the input system by the system with a truncated state space and contains an effective computational algorithm. For n=1 and n=2, the representations can be simplified to closed scalar formulas for stationary probabilities using the model parameters. These results are consistent with earlier works. To demonstrate practical significance, we present a multi-objective problem of maximizing total income generated by the system. Considering the economic nature of the problem, we utilized the method of linear convolution of criteria. The obtained representations enable us to determine an optimal strategy that maximizes the objective function.

Computational fluid dynamics modeling of crude palm oil hydrocracking in fixed-bed reactor

Hydrocracking of Crude Palm Oil (CPO) in fixed-bed reactor was studied using a six-lump computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The experiment was conducted in the reactor at the temperatures of 673-773 K with CPO flow rates between 60 and 300 g/h. The predictive modeling of CPO cracking demonstrated a strong correlation with the experimental data. CFD simulation investigated the influence of input flow rates and temperatures on species mass fraction and product yield in the reactor. At the lowest input flow rate, the highest results of diesel (31.7 %), kerosene (17.1 %), gasoline (7.62 %), and gas (3 %) were produced. As CPO flow rate increased from 60 to 300 g/h, the concentration of CPO in the reactor increased while the concentration of the desired products decreased at the reactor outlet. The highest total oil fraction was obtained at 773 K and a 60 g/h flow rate with oil fraction value of 59.42 %.

Solid Oxide Electrochemical Cells for Nitrogen and Oxygen Production

Nitrogen and oxygen are both very important commodities with a wide variety of applications in industries, such as chemical, food and metallurgical plants as well as in the medical sector. Nowadays most of the nitrogen and oxygen are produced via air separation technologies such as cryogenic distillation (ASU) or pressure swing adsorption (PSA). Both ASU and PSA offer economical and mature ways for nitrogen and oxygen production at large (>100 ton/day) or medium scales (20-100 tons/day). If one can develop a technology for providing these gases in an energy efficient and cost effective way also at small scale, preferably driven by electricity only, this would enable new applications of the gases. Such a technology would match characteristics of the future green electricity system relying on small scale (few MWs) power generation and fluctuating production..In this work we present an efficient electrochemical process for N2 and O2 production based on a solid oxide electrochemical cell technology by oxygen extraction from air. Cells with a 53 × 53 mm2 size were produced by a conventional tape casting method. They consist of a ca.10 μm CGO (Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-δ) electrolyte sandwiched between composite electrodes made from either LSCF (La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ) - CGO, or LSF (La0.6Sr0.4FeO3-δ) - CGO. To boost performance at low temperature, the electrodes were infiltrated with Pr-oxide. The electrochemical performance with the different supports were characterized by obtaining current-voltage (iV) characteristics at different temperatures as well as through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) with or without infiltration. For characterization, air was used as feed stock to the cathode compartment and air, or oxygen was used as sweep gas to the anode compartment. A voltage below 200 mV is needed to drive a current of 1 A/cm2 through the cell, which can provide a purity of 90% of N2 out at an operation temperature of 650 °C (see Figure 1a). The cells were demonstrated to operate for producing a 98% pure N2 stream without degradation over a 1500 h period (see Figure 1b).Further analysis show that the specific power consumption calculated based on the power input and outlet gas flow rate for 90% N2 production is ca. 0.1 kWh/m3 and the specific power consumption for 96% and 98% N2 production is 0.21 and 0.31 kWh/m3, respectively. A 3-fold increase in required power is observed when going from a N2 purity from 90% to 98%.Detailed electrochemical analysis and the electrochemical performance comparison between LSCF and LSF based mixed ionic electronic conductor (MIEC) electrodes will be presented. Factors limiting cell performance will as well as analysis of optimal point of operation in terms of energy consumption and reliability will also be discussed. Acknowledgment This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 862482. Figure 1

On Stationary Probabilities of State-Dependent Markov Retrial Queue

In this paper, we consider the Markov model of a multiserver retrial queue with an input flow rate that depends on the number of calls in an orbit and with a limited number of retrials. We have obtained the conditions for the existence of the stationary regime and presented formulas for steady-state probabilities. Our approach is based on the approximation of the input model by the model with truncated state space.

Numerical and experimental investigations on the thermal-hydraulic performance of heat exchangers with Schwarz-P and gyroid structures

The fluid flow and heat transfer are investigated in high-performance heat exchangers with Schwarz-P and Gyroid structures using numerical and experimental approaches. This study was carried out first for laminar flow (Re = 10–100, Pr = 3–6) numerically and second for turbulent flow (Re = 1850–5500, Pr = 3.5) numerically and experimentally. All simulations were performed with COMSOL software to investigate the flow patterns, thermal performance, and pressure drop in heat exchangers based on the Schwarz-P and Gyroid with various unit cell numbers between 1 and 64. For low Re simulations, it is observed that the heat transfer coefficient and performance evaluation coefficient (PEC) increase with increasing the number of cells (or decreasing the cell size) in a constant volume. By redefining the Reynolds number based on the hydraulic inlet diameter and the velocity at the inlet of the structure, the Colburn and friction coefficients become independent of the structure's density. Correlations are provided to predict these coefficients. The results show that the Gyroid with 64-unit cells provides an average of 24 % (maximum 33 %) enhancement in the PEC and 40 % (maximum 46 %) Nusselt number improvement over the tube banks. On the contrary, the Schwarz-P does not have an improvement in PEC or Nusselt number compared to the tube bank. For the high Re study, several prototype heat exchanger samples based on the Schwarz-P and Gyroid structures were fabricated utilizing the FDM 3D-printing technique with no support structures to show that these heat exchangers could be manufactured. The SLM method was also used to fabricate a Gyroid heat exchanger for use in the experimental studies. The performance of a Gyroid heat exchanger made of AlSi10Mg has been tested for input flow rates ranging from 1 to 3 L per minute. For numerical simulation, the k-epsilon and K–W-SST turbulence models are employed and their results are compared with the present experimental data. It is found that the results of the K–W-SST model provide better agreement with experimental ones.

Comparison of PDMS and NOA Microfluidic Chips: Deformation, Roughness, Hydrophilicity and Flow Performance.

Microfluidic devices are frequently manufactured with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) due to its affordability, transparency, and simplicity. However, high-pressure flow through PDMS microfluidic channels lead to an increase in channel size due to the compliance of the material. As a result, longer response times are required to reach steady flow rates, which increases the overall time required to complete experiments when using a syringe pump. Due to its excellent optical properties and increased rigidity, Norland Optical Adhesive (NOA) has been proposed as a promising material candidate for microfluidic fabrication. This study compares the compliance and deformation properties of three different characteristic sized (width of parallel channels: 100, 40 and 20 µm) microfluidic devices made of PDMS and NOA. The comparison of the microfluidics devices is made based on the Young's modulus, roughness, contact angle, channel width deformation, flow resistance and compliance. The experimental resistance is estimated through the measurement of the flow at a given pressure and a precision flow meter. The characteristic time of the system is extracted by fitting the two-element resistance-compliance (RC) hydraulic circuit model. The compliance of the microfluidics chips is estimated through the measurement of the characteristic time required for channels to achieve an output flow rate equivalent to that of the input flow rate using a syringe pump and a precision flow meter. The Young modulus was found to be 2 MPa for the PDMS and 1743 MPa for the NOA 63. The surface roughness was found to be higher for the NOA 63 than for the PDMS. The hydrophilicities of materials were found comparable with and without plasma treatment. The results show that NOA devices have lower compliance and deformation than PDMS devices.