Abstract
An enhanced electrohydrodynamic micropump for use in small-scale liquid pumping applications is developed. The micropump can be incorporated into an integrated circuit chip to provide active cooling or used as a fluid delivery agent in microdevices. Liquid flow is achieved by combining two actuation mechanisms: electrohydrodynamics (EHD) and the action of a vibrating diaphragm. Heat generated by active devices creates a thermal gradient in the fluid allowing induction of ions to be driven by EHD. The vibrating diaphragm enhances the EHD efficiency, allowing more pumping power to be transferred to the fluid. Boundary condition effects, as a result of scaling, are considered through numerical modeling. Flow rate enhancement with the addition of a vibrating diaphragm is also presented.
Keywords
EHD
Date of this Version
4-2-2007