Temperature sensitivity of capillary-driven flow: application to age monitoring devices.
The effects of time-dependent temperature fluctuations on surface-tension driven fluid flow inside a capillary are modeled using classical hydrodynamics. To begin, Newton's second law is evoked to derive a nondimensional equation of motion that describes the time-evolution of the fluid front position and velocity as a function of system geometry, fluid properties, and fluid temperature. This model is used to examine how temperature excursions affect the instantaneous and long-term position and velocity of the fluid front inside the capillary. Next, the effects of orientation on the movement of high viscosity fluids through a capillary are examined. From these findings, a procedure is developed for designing non-powered time-temperature integration devices for recording the cumulative temperature exposure history of an environment.
Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723, USA. john.thomas@jhuapl.edu
J A
JA
Thomas
M P
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Boyle
L W
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Hunter
J E
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Tiffany