High flow-rate piezoelectric micropump with two fixed ends polydimethylsiloxane valves and compressible spaces

• The proposed micropump has the characteristics of low power consumption and high power density.
• The simple polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) valves with two fixed ends and compressible spaces improve pump performance significantly.
• A prototype micropump with the technology presents a significantly high flow rate and pumping pressure, which is favorable for the fuel delivery system.

An efficient fuel delivery system with low power consumption is necessary to provide an adequate amount of fuel for fuel cells. This study presents the design concept, fabrication process, dynamic analysis, and experimental results of a piezoelectric micropump with high flow rate, high pumping pressure, and lower power consumption, which is favorable for the fuel delivery system. The micropump consists of a resonantly driven actuator, two simple polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) check valves and compressible spaces. Compared with a cantilever-type valve, the check valve with two fixed ends increases the working stability and reduces the leakage rate. The performance of the micropump is significantly improved by the addition of compressible spaces near the check valves. Experimental results demonstrate that the maximum flow rate of 105 ml/min and maximum back pressure of 23 kPa are obtained when the micropump is driven with a sinusoidal voltage of 400 Vpp at 490 Hz. The maximum power consumption of the micropump is approximately 42 mW at zero back pressure.