Simulation of three-dimensional transient performance in micro-pump

Abstract

Increasing efforts are being directed towards applying the technologies of micro-fluidic, to the development of micro-devices for a wide range of applications such as medical, biological and related technologies. In the present study, the transient performance of the micro-pump will be investigated numerically. The micro-screw pump operation depends on the surface sweep forces. It consists of a screw placed inside a micro-channel. When the screw rotates, a net force is transferred to the fluid due to the differential pressure on the depth of the thread and pressure gradient along the screw axis, thus causing the fluid to displace. The present numerical investigation is a comparative study of transient flow behavior in a micro-channel with rotating screw with different cross-sectional geometries. The effect of screw thread, pitch, Reynolds number and pump load were studied. The thread was determined to be the geometrical parameter that affected the transient performance of the micro-pump the most significantly. The development of the drag, lift and moment coefficients was studied for different geometrical and flow conditions. This work provides crucial fundamentals for different applications.