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Supersonic Micro-nozzles

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Encyclopedia of Microfluidics and Nanofluidics

Synonyms

MEMS-nozzle; MEMS-thruster; Microthruster

Definition

The fundamental purpose of any nozzle is the acceleration of a flow field via the conversion of available pressure and/or internal energy into kinetic energy. For compressible fluids (gases), it is possible to accelerate the flow from subsonic to sonic speeds – and ultimately supersonic speeds – with sufficiently high inlet pressure ratios. Supersonic nozzles typically consist of three distinct regions: a subsonic converging portion at the inlet, followed by a “throat” where the cross-sectional area is minimum and finally a supersonic diverging section (“expander”). Micro-nozzles are uniquely defined by their small length scales (throat diameters typically below 100 μm) and the low Reynolds numbers of the flow (Re < 1,000).

Overview

Perhaps the most frequent engineering application of nozzles is in propulsion systems for aircraft or spacecraft; however, other important applications exist as well (e.g., spray nozzles and...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mechanical Engineering Program, School of Engineering, University of Vermont, 201 Votey Hall, Burlington, VT, USA

    William F. Louisos

  2. Mechanical Engineering Program, School of Engineering, The University of Vermont, 301 Votey Hall, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA

    Darren L. Hitt

Authors
  1. William F. Louisos
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  2. Darren L. Hitt
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Darren L. Hitt .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. VU Station B 351592, Vanderbilt University Dept. Mechanical Engineering, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

    Dongqing Li

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Louisos, W.F., Hitt, D.L. (2014). Supersonic Micro-nozzles. In: Li, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Microfluidics and Nanofluidics. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27758-0_1486-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27758-0_1486-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27758-0

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