Electrical analogies applied on MMR micropump

Abstract

Micropumps are among useful equipment in microsystems. The magnetically actuated mercury micropump, which has been introduced for less than a decade, is an innovative kind of micropumps which uses mercury droplets motion as a pumping agent. The equations governing this micropump are complex and their numerical solution is a time-consuming process, due to electromagnetic, hydrodynamic, and unsteady effects. In the present study, for the first time, using simplifying assumptions, the performance of a Magneto Mercury Reciprocating (MMR) micropump with electromagnetic actuation is studied through electrical analogy and then, the components and operational stages of the micropump are simulated using a lumped element method with an equivalent electric circuit, while calculating its currents and potentials. Then, the characteristic curves of this micropump are extracted as a function of head and the flow rate and the results of the proposed modeling are verified by laboratory results. Finally, the effect of geometric parameters and the actuation frequency on the micropump performance is studied. The results of modeling indicate that an increase in the volume of the liquid droplet chamber, as well the actuation frequency could improve the performance of this micropump.