Koombua K., Pidaparti R.M., Longest P.W., Atkinson G.M.
Virginia Commonwealth University, US
Keywords: design, microfluidics, micropump, simulation, valveless
A novel design of a micropump with multiple vibrating membranes has been developed in this study. The micropump consists of three nozzle/diffuser elements with vibrating membranes, which are used to create pressure difference in the pump chamber. The fluidic characteristics of this micropump were analyzed using FLUENT, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver based on the finite volume method. The dynamic mesh algorithm was employed to study transient responses of fluid velocity, pressure distributions, and flow rate during the operating cycle of the micropump. The design simulation results showed that the movement of wall membranes combined with the rectification behavior of three nozzle/diffuser elements can minimize back flow and improve net flow in one direction.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 3, Nanotechnology 2008: Microsystems, Photonics, Sensors, Fluidics, Modeling, and Simulation – Technical Proceedings of the 2008 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Trade Show, Volume 3
Published: June 1, 2008
Pages: 557 - 560
Industry sectors: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing | Sensors, MEMS, Electronics
Topic: Informatics, Modeling & Simulation
ISBN: 978-1-4200-8505-1