A low frequency driven piezoelectric pump with flexible valve

A low frequency driven piezoelectric pump with flexible valve (LDPPFV) is presented. LDPPFV is able to achieve precise flow control by adjusting driving voltage or driving frequency. The flexible valve has high elasticity and low stiffness, which can effectively reduce the reverse leakage of the check valve and realize the low frequency (<5 Hz) drive of the piezoelectric pump. The prototype of LDPPFV is designed and manufactured. The frequency and voltage characteristics of LDPPFV under different external loads are investigated. Experimental results indicate that with the increase of the thickness of the flexible valve, the optimal frequency of LDPPFV increases, but the flow rate decreases. Under no external load, the maximum flow rate of 18.10 ml/min is achieved at 4.5 Hz. Under external loads of 0/1/3 kPa, the output flow rate of LDPPFV has a good linear relationship with driving frequency and voltage. Least square method is used to fit the flow rate and the driving parameters. The linear correlation coefficients R-2 are all above 0.980. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

A low frequency driven piezoelectric pump with flexible valve is proposed to achieve precise flow control by adjusting driving voltage or driving frequency. Experimental results indicate that the optimal frequency of the pump increases with the thickness of the flexible valve, leading to a decrease in flow rate. The output flow rate of the pump has a good linear relationship with driving frequency and voltage under different external loads.