Optimal Design and Operation for a No-Moving-Parts-Valve (NMPV) Micro-Pump with a Diffuser Width of 500 μm

A no-moving-parts-valve (NMPV) with a diffuser width of D = 500 microns was investigated in this study by numerical simulations at Reynolds numbers, Re(D), ranging from 20 to 75, and expansion valve angles ranging from 30° < θ(1) < 57° and 110° < θ(2) < 120°. The D(p),(i) value, 1.02 < D(p),(i) < 1.14, is larger within the proposed range of the expansion valve angles. A flow channel structure with a depth of 500 micron is manufactured using yellow light lithography in this study. From prior analyses and experiments, it is found that piezoelectric films work better at a buzz driving frequency of f < 30Hz and the best operating frequency is at a driving frequency of f = 10Hz because it produces the largest net flow. In addition, the expansion angles θ(1) = 30° and θ(2) = 120° are the best expansion angles because they produce the largest net flow. These related results are very helpful for the actual design of no-moving-parts-valve micro-pump.