Past, Present, and Future of Microfluidic Fluid Analysis in the Energy Industry

ABSTRACT: Microfluidics presents an unprecedented opportunity to understand fluid properties and phase measurements at extreme conditions relevant to energy applications. Since the 1950s, when a simple micromodel system was built to visualize fluid behavior in porous media, microfluidics has matured and has been adapted to help address the biggest fluid challenges within the energy industry. Modern microfluidic systems are robust at high temperatures and pressures and can provide phase property analyses competitive with the most established bulk methods. In contrast to bulk methods, microfluidic approaches offer advantages in speed, cost, control, and sample size. Here, we review and highlight the past and present of microfluidic-based fluid analysis and look ahead to future applications and the opportunity presented by the energy sector transition ahead.