Research on the valveless piezoelectric pump with Y-shape pipes

Abstract

A piezoelectric pump with its Y-shape elements is presented. Two Y-shape pipes are fixed outside the chamber serving as an inlet and outlet, with the chamber and a piezoelectric vibrator being the actor. The pump has the potential to be miniaturized and integrated. Eddies occurring in the Y-shape elements are smaller, which is beneficial for the transport of living cells or long-link macromolecules. In this paper, the structure of the pump is first presented. Then, the equations on the change in volume and the mean pressure in the chamber are established, as well as the relation between the flow rate and the working frequency of the piezoelectric vibrator. Moreover, the relation between the mean pressure in the chamber and the working frequency of the piezoelectric vibrator is established. Finally, experiments are carried out to test the characteristics of the pump and to verify the correction of the theory on this pump.