{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T01:00:10Z","timestamp":1760230810672,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,11]],"date-time":"2022-08-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1660176000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"the Major Science and Technology Project of China National Tobacco Corporation","award":["110202001009(XX-05)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["110202001009(XX-05)"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Symmetry"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study numerically investigated the symmetric breakup of bubble within a heated microfluidic Y-junction. The established three-dimensional model was verified with the results in the literature. Two crucial variables, Reynolds number (Re) and heat flux (q), were considered. Numerical results demonstrated that the bubble breakup was significantly affected by phase change under the heated environment. The \u201cbreakup with tunnel\u201d and \u201cbreakup with obstruction\u201d modes respectively occurred at the low and high q. The breakup rate in pinch-off stage was much larger than that in squeezing stage. As Re increased, the bubble broke more rapidly, and the critical neck thickness tended to decrease. The bubble annihilated the vortices existing in the divergence region and made the fluid flow more uniform. The heat transfer was enhanced more drastically as Re was decreased or q was increased, where the maximum Nusselt number under two-phase case was 6.53 times larger than single-phase case. The present study not only helps understanding of the physical mechanisms of bubble behaviors and heat transfer within microfluidic Y-junction, but also informs design of microfluidic devices.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/sym14081661","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,11]],"date-time":"2022-08-11T23:05:49Z","timestamp":1660259149000},"page":"1661","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Numerical Investigation on the Symmetric Breakup of Bubble within a Heated Microfluidic Y-Junction"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Jingbo","family":"Chen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Technology Center, China Tobacco Hunan Industrial Co., Ltd., Changsha 410007, China"},{"name":"College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wen","family":"Du","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Technology Center, China Tobacco Hunan Industrial Co., Ltd., Changsha 410007, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bo","family":"Kong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Technology Center, China Tobacco Hunan Industrial Co., Ltd., Changsha 410007, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zhiguo","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Technology Center, China Tobacco Hunan Industrial Co., Ltd., Changsha 410007, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jun","family":"Cao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Technology Center, China Tobacco Hunan Industrial Co., Ltd., Changsha 410007, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Weiran","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Information & Communication Company, State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company, Shanghai 200072, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zhe","family":"Yan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"119223","DOI":"10.1016\/j.energy.2020.119223","article-title":"Thermal management and temperature uniformity enhancement of electronic devices by micro heat sinks: A review","volume":"216","author":"He","year":"2021","journal-title":"Energy"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"116017","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ces.2020.116017","article-title":"Two-phase flow and mass transfer in microchannels: A review from local mechanism to global models","volume":"229","author":"Yao","year":"2021","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. Sci."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Seo, J.-H., Patil, M.S., Panchal, S., and Lee, M.-Y. (2020). Numerical Investigations on Magnetohydrodynamic Pump Based Microchannel Cooling System for Heat Dissipating Element. Symmetry, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/sym12101713"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1253","DOI":"10.1007\/s00231-010-0655-x","article-title":"Boiling regimes in uncoated polydimethylsiloxane microchannels with a fine wire heater","volume":"46","author":"Lu","year":"2010","journal-title":"Heat Mass Transfer."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"221","DOI":"10.1016\/j.enconman.2019.03.038","article-title":"Design, fabrication and thermal performance of a novel ultra-thin vapour chamber for cooling electronic devices","volume":"187","author":"Chen","year":"2019","journal-title":"Energy Convers. Manag."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"117375","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ces.2021.117375","article-title":"Three-dimensional numerical study on evaporating two-phase flow in heated micro T-junction","volume":"250","author":"Yan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. Sci."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"034301","DOI":"10.1063\/1.5109006","article-title":"Numerical simulation of the bubble dynamics in a bifurcated micro-channel using the lattice Boltzmann method","volume":"126","author":"Lou","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Appl. Phys."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ces.2018.05.003","article-title":"Droplet breakup in an asymmetric bifurcation with two angled branches","volume":"188","author":"Wang","year":"2018","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. Sci."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10233","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.langmuir.9b00294","article-title":"From contact line structures to wetting dynamics","volume":"35","author":"Wang","year":"2019","journal-title":"Langmuir"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"116867","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ces.2021.116867","article-title":"The breakup dynamics of bubbles stabilized by nanoparticles in a microfluidic Y-junction","volume":"245","author":"Fei","year":"2021","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. Sci."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"417","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ces.2019.03.044","article-title":"Effect of microchannel junction angle on two-phase liquid-gas Taylor flow","volume":"202","author":"Lim","year":"2019","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. Sci."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"741","DOI":"10.1007\/s10409-015-0420-y","article-title":"Effects of geometric configuration on droplet generation in Y-junctions and anti-Y-junctions microchannels","volume":"31","author":"Liu","year":"2015","journal-title":"Acta Mech. Sin."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"778","DOI":"10.1039\/C5RA21802K","article-title":"Magnetofluidic control of the breakup of ferrofluid droplets in a microfluidic Y-junction","volume":"6","author":"Li","year":"2016","journal-title":"RSC Adv."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10471","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.langmuir.0c01633","article-title":"Tuning the splitting behavior of droplet in a bifurcating channel through wettability-capillarity interaction","volume":"36","author":"Deka","year":"2020","journal-title":"Langmuir"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ren, Y., Koh, K.S., Yew, M., Chin, J.K., Chan, Y., and Yan, Y. (2018). Droplet breakup dynamics in bi-layer bifurcating microchannel. Micromachines, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/mi9020057"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.1007\/s10404-016-1776-4","article-title":"Effects of topological changes in microchannel geometries on the asymmetric breakup of a droplet","volume":"20","author":"Zheng","year":"2016","journal-title":"Microfluid. Nanofluid."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"732682","DOI":"10.1155\/2013\/732682","article-title":"VOF modeling and analysis of the segmented flow in Y-shaped microchannels for microreactor systems","volume":"2013","author":"Wang","year":"2013","journal-title":"Adv. High Energy Phys."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"120186","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2020.120186","article-title":"Dynamics and phase change heat transfer of an isolated vapor bubble traveling through a heated T-shaped branching microchannel","volume":"160","author":"Yan","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121344","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.121344","article-title":"Breakup regime and heat transfer of a vapor bubble within T-shaped branching microchannel","volume":"175","author":"Yan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"118427","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2019.07.077","article-title":"Conjugate heat transfer analysis of liquid-vapor two phase flow in a microtube: A numerical investigation","volume":"142","author":"Tiwari","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"117369","DOI":"10.1016\/j.applthermaleng.2021.117369","article-title":"Lattice Boltzmann mesoscopic modeling of flow boiling heat transfer processes in a microchannel","volume":"197","author":"Zhang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Appl. Therm. Eng."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"118036","DOI":"10.1016\/j.applthermaleng.2022.118036","article-title":"Micro\/nanoscale surface on enhancing the microchannel flow boiling performance: A Lattice Boltzmann simulation","volume":"205","author":"Chen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Appl. Therm. Eng."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101677","DOI":"10.1016\/j.csite.2021.101677","article-title":"Numerical investigation of flow boiling characteristics in cobweb-shaped microchannel heat sink","volume":"28","author":"Qiu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Case Stud. Therm. Eng."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"122527","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2022.122527","article-title":"A remarkable CHF of 345 W\/cm2 is achieved in a wicked-microchannel using HFE-7100","volume":"187","author":"Li","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101745","DOI":"10.1016\/j.csite.2021.101745","article-title":"Experimental study of flow boiling heat transfer and pressure drop in stepped oblique-finned microchannel heat sink","volume":"30","author":"Qiu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Case Stud. Therm. Eng."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"48189","DOI":"10.1021\/acsami.1c11250","article-title":"Micro-pin-finned surfaces with fractal treelike hydrophilic networks for flow boiling enhancement","volume":"13","author":"Yuan","year":"2021","journal-title":"ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"119819","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2020.119819","article-title":"Water flow boiling in a partially modified microgap with shortened micro pin fins","volume":"155","author":"Yin","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"120829","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2020.120829","article-title":"Experimental study of flow boiling performance of open-ring pin fin microchannels","volume":"167","author":"Deng","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1349","DOI":"10.1080\/01457632.2018.1470296","article-title":"Heat transfer characteristics and flow visualization during flow boiling of acetone in semi-open multi-microchannels","volume":"40","author":"Xia","year":"2018","journal-title":"Heat Transf. Eng."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121133","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.121133","article-title":"The effect of surface wettability on flow boiling characteristics within microchannels","volume":"172","author":"Vontas","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121808","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.121808","article-title":"Visualization study of flow boiling characteristics in open microchannels with different wettability","volume":"180","author":"Zhao","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"120596","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2020.120596","article-title":"Enhancement of flow boiling heat transfer using heterogeneous wettability patterned surfaces with varying inter-spacing","volume":"164","author":"Hsu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121158","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.121158","article-title":"Heat transfer, pressure drop and flow patterns of flow boiling on heterogeneous wetting surface in a vertical narrow microchannel","volume":"172","author":"Lin","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"122215","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.122215","article-title":"High heat flux flow boiling of R1234yf, R1234ze(E) and R134a in high aspect ratio microchannels","volume":"186","author":"Criscuolo","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"122551","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2022.122551","article-title":"Liquid mass transfer characteristics of zeotropic mixtures of R134a\/R245fa during flow boiling in a rectangular channel","volume":"187","author":"Qi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_36","first-page":"10","article-title":"Transient flow boiling and maldistribution characteristics in heated parallel channels induced by flow regime oscillations","volume":"11","author":"Kingston","year":"2021","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Compon. Packag. Manuf. Technol."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"468","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2019.04.082","article-title":"An experimental investigation on the characteristics of flow instability with the evolution of two-phase interface morphology","volume":"138","author":"Lu","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"120212","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2020.120212","article-title":"3D Transient heat transfer analysis and flow visualization study in diverging microchannel for instability mitigated two-phase flow: A numerical study","volume":"160","author":"Alugoju","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_39","unstructured":"NIST (2018). NIST Chemistry Web Book, NIST."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1031","DOI":"10.1080\/01457632.2011.556493","article-title":"Seed bubble guided heat transfer in a single microchannel","volume":"32","author":"Xu","year":"2011","journal-title":"Heat Transf. Eng."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.1016\/0021-9991(92)90240-Y","article-title":"A continuum method for modeling surface tension","volume":"100","author":"Brackbill","year":"1992","journal-title":"J. Comput. Phys."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/10407782.2014.916109","article-title":"Spurious current suppression in VOF-CSF simulation of slug flow through small channels","volume":"67","author":"Pan","year":"2014","journal-title":"Numer. Heat Transf. A Appl."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"945","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2015.10.044","article-title":"A saturated-interface-volume phase change model for simulating flow boiling","volume":"93","author":"Pan","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105481","DOI":"10.1016\/j.icheatmasstransfer.2021.105481","article-title":"Influences of wall superheat and channel width ratio on bubble behaviors and heat transfer within a heated microchannel T-junction","volume":"126","author":"Yan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. Commun. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_45","unstructured":"Fluent (2016). ANSYS FLUENT 17.0: User\u2019s Guide, ANSYS-Fluent Inc."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"376","DOI":"10.1002\/elps.201800330","article-title":"Dynamics of partially obstructed breakup of bubbles in microfluidic Y-junctions","volume":"40","author":"Ziyi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Electrophoresis"},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"451","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2012.12.010","article-title":"Numerical investigation of hydrodynamics and heat transfer of elongated bubbles during flow boiling in a microchannel","volume":"59","author":"Magnini","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int. J. Heat Mass Transf."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4184","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ces.2011.06.003","article-title":"Dynamics of bubble breakup in a microfluidic T-junction divergence","volume":"66","author":"Fu","year":"2011","journal-title":"Chem. Eng. Sci."}],"container-title":["Symmetry"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2073-8994\/14\/8\/1661\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T00:07:05Z","timestamp":1760141225000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2073-8994\/14\/8\/1661"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,11]]},"references-count":48,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,8]]}},"alternative-id":["sym14081661"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/sym14081661","relation":{},"ISSN":["2073-8994"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2073-8994"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,11]]}}}