On the application of piezolaminated composites to diaphragm micropumps

This paper deals with the numerical simulation of piezolaminated microplates adopted as actuators in micropumps. The performances of piezoelectric actuation are critically assessed by means of comparisons with devices based on the electrostatic force. In order to perform accurate simulations of the micropump behavior, the theory of laminates is adopted, account taken of the piezoelectric coupling. Both static and dynamic analyses have been performed, in order to obtain information on the optimal configuration for the micropump.