Development and application of a diaphragm micro-pump with piezoelectric device

Abstract

In this study, a new type of thin, compact, and light weighed diaphragm micro-pump has been successfully developed to actuate liquid by the vibration of a diaphragm. The micro-diaphragm pump with two valves is fabricated in an aluminum case by using highly accurate CNC machine, and the cross-section dimension is 28 mm 9 5 mm. Both valves and diaphragm are manufactured from PDMS. The amplitude of vibration by a piezoelectric device produces an oscillating flow and alters the chamber volume by the curvature change of a diaphragm. Several experimental set-ups for performance tests in a single micro-diaphragm pump, isothermal flow open system, and a closed liquid cooling system are designed and implemented. The performance of a one-side actuating micro-diaphragm pump is affected by the design of check valves, diaphragm, piezoelectric device, chamber volume, input voltage and frequency. The measured maximum flow rate of present design is 72 ml/min at zero total pump head in the range of operation frequency 70-180 Hz.

A global assessment of piezoelectric actuated micro-pumps

“…In fact, many authors rely on the great displacements obtained on the cantilever beam when it is driven at its resonant frequency. [29] for example, presents a micropump with flap valves and an innovative diaphragm geometry. The author models this latter with a classic massdamper-spring system and makes use of the harmonic resonance of the working fluid along with the system components to drive the whole at a frequency that optimizes the device's performance.…”

Design and fabrication of novel micro electromagnetic actuator

“…Broadly speaking, the micro actuators presented in the literature can be categorized as either static, electromagnetic, or piezoelectric (Liu et al 1994;Lagorce et al 1999;Yamahata et al 2005;Zhu et al 2005;Xu et al 2006;Chen et al 2007;Ma et al 2008). Liu et al (1994) fabricated a system of magnetic flaps intended for use in an active MEMS-based fluid control system.…”

The improved performance of one-side actuating diaphragm micropump for a liquid cooling system

“…Ma et al [9] developed one-side actuating diaphragm micropump, and its measured maximum flow rate is 1.2 ml/s at zero pump head in the range of operation frequency 70 Hz-180 Hz. In this study, an improved design of the one-side actuating diaphragm micropump was developed to actuate liquid by the vibration of a diaphragm with a thinner structure and a higher flow rate.…”