Theoretical and experimental performance of a high frequency gas micropump

This paper describes theoretical analyses and experimental characterization of high frequency multi-stage micropumps. The MEMS-fabricated micropumps have been developed for use in a highly-integrated micro gas chromatograph system for chemical analysis. Tests are reported on a 20x, two-stage pump and MEMS-fabricated micropumps and the results used to validate the theoretical analyses. Detailed comparisons of the 20x pump performance and unsteady pressure traces show that the theoretical analyses capture the main features of the flow in the pump. These results also provide insights on practical aspects of pump operation that have been incorporated in an improved reduced order model of the pump. Theoretical analyses used in the design of the MEMS-fabricated micropumps are described. A four-stage MEMS-fabricated unit produces a maximum flow of 3 ccm and a maximum pressure of 7000 Pa. These experimental results are compared to the reduced order model results and show standard error in flow and pressure of 0.31 ccm and 43 Pa, respectively, which correspond to 12% of the maximum performance.