Forster F.K., Walter T.
University of Washington, US
Keywords: cooling, design, fixed-valves, liquid, micropumps, pressure
Membrane pumps with fixed-geometry valves are ex- tremely simple to fabricate and have the potential to be highly reliable and cheap due to their simplicity. We have recently implemented a means of optimizing design parameters based on calculated estimates of pressure rise and volume flow rate. While the method yields valu- able information on which combination of parameters yields higher pressure or higher flow in a relative sense, actual calculated values are overly optimistic compared to measured values. In this study we investigated the role of entry and exit losses in the valves, which are not considered in the present model. The results show that including these effects is important, as they can raise valve resistance by a factor of five or more. Incorpo- ration of these effects in the design process improved pump performance predictions and provides the capa- bility of more accurately designing for higher pressure at the cost of less flow or vice versa, i.e. control of the pump performance curve.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 3, Technical Proceedings of the 2007 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Trade Show, Volume 3
Published: May 20, 2007
Pages: 429 - 432
Industry sector: Sensors, MEMS, Electronics
Topic: Micro & Bio Fluidics, Lab-on-Chip
ISBN: 1-4200-6184-4