Resonantly driven piezoelectric micropump with PDMS check valves and compressible space

Abstract

This paper presents a resonantly-driven and high-performing piezoelectric micropump, which is favorable for the fuel delivery system. The micropump consists of a resonance-driven vibrator, two simple polydimethylsioxane (PDMS) check valves and compressible spaces. The PDMS check valve increases the working stability and reduces the leakage rate. The performance of the micropump is significantly improved by the addition of compressible spaces near the check valves. Experimental results demonstrate that the maximum flow rate of 105 ml/min and maximum back pressure of 23 kPa are obtained when the micropump is driven by a sinusoidal voltage of 400 Vpp at 490 Hz. The maximum power consumption is approximately 42 mW at zero back pressure.