TY - JOUR N2 - The aim of this paper is to study the applicability of the theory of micropolar fluids to modelling and calculating flows in microchannels depending on the geometrical dimension of the flow field. First, it will be shown that if the characteristic linear dimension of the flow becomes appropriately large, the equations describing the micropolar fluid flow can be transformed into Navier-Stokes equations. Next, Poiseuille flows in a microchannel is studied in detail. In particular, the maximal cross-sectional size of the channel for which the micropolar effects of the fluid flow become important will be established. The experimentally determined values of rheological constants of the fluid have been used in calculations. L1 - http://www.czasopisma.pan.pl/Content/111824/PDF-MASTER/(52-3)209.pdf L2 - http://www.czasopisma.pan.pl/Content/111824 PY - 2004 IS - No 3 EP - 214 KW - microflows KW - microchannels KW - micropolar fluid theory KW - Poiseuille flow A1 - Kucaba-Piętal, A. VL - vol. 52 DA - 2004 T1 - Microchannels flow modelling with the micropolar fluid theory SP - 209 UR - http://www.czasopisma.pan.pl/dlibra/publication/edition/111824 T2 - Bulletin of the Polish Academy of Sciences Technical Sciences ER -