Chemical engineering research microscale

In the remainder of this section, I discuss the significance of these future trends in fluid mechanics and transport phenomena, beginning with the evolution of new theoretical tools and concluding with a more detailed description of future objectives, challenges, and opportunities for fluid mechanics research at the microscale. Some of the latter discussion is drawn from a more comprehensive report, The Mechanics of Fluids with Micro-structure written in 1986 by Professor R. A. Brown (MIT) and myself (with substantial input from the chemical engineering research community) as part of a general NSF-sponsored study of The Future of Fluid Mechanics Research. 

Microscale flow visualization has become an important tool for characterizing the performance of microchannels, micromixers and microreactors. Due to the rapid improvement in computer power and the great efforts in optical instrumentation, new measuring systems with high spatial and temporal resolution are available even for smaller companies and research institutes. In connection with the recent success in numerical simulation of microscale flow, a signiflcant acceleration in clariflcation of microscale phenomena and technical development can be expected. By ensuring the development of reliable systems, microscale flow visualization will provide an important contribution to the further spread of micro process engineering applications in the chemical and biochemical industries. 

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