Citation:
Meiling Zhu, Paul Kirby, Martin Wacklerle, Markus Herz, Martin Richter, Optimization design of multi-material micropump using finite element method, Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, Volume 149, Issue 1, 15 January 2009, Pages 130-135
Abstract:
This paper presents a micropump fabricated from low-cost materials with specific
goal of cost reduction. The micropump does not require any valve flap and
comprises of one plastic pump polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) body, one metal
diaphragm, and three piezoelectric ceramics to form piezoelectrically actuated
diaphragm valves. The valve actuation simplifies micropump structural designs
and assembly processes to make the pump attractive for low cost bio-medical drug
delivery applications. A detailed optimization design of geometric parameters of
the piezoelectrically actuated diaphragm is undertaken by use of 3D finite
element method (FEM) to maximize piezoelectric actuation capability and ensure
actuation reliability. An optimized geometric dimensional design: the ratio of
thicknesses between the piezoelectric ceramics and the metal diaphragm, and the
lateral dimension of the piezoelectric ceramic, is obtained through simulations.
Based on the optimized design, a good agreement has been reached between
simulated and measured strokes of the micropumps. The tested results show that
the micropump has a high pump flow rate for air, up to 39 ml/min, and for water
up to 1.8ml/min, and is capable of ensuring diaphragm’s maximum stress and
strain is within material strength for reliable wor