Vibration performances of polymeric micropump actuated by PbZrTiO3 bimorph

The check valve micropump can easily reach a high-flow rate, and it has promising application prospects in microfluidic devices and artificial organs. There are several vibrating parts in the check valve pump, including the actuator, membrane and valves. The vibration performances of these parts have a coupling influence on the performance of the micropump. In the work reported in this Letter, four kinds of micropumps with different valves and actuators were designed and fabricated, and the vibration performances of the vibrating parts were analysed by the finite element method. Then, the performances of each kind of micropump were studied by frequency sweeping experiments. The factors affecting micropump performance were determined, and the experimental results approximately coincide with the theoretical analysis. This research provides a theoretical and experimental basis for the design and optimisation of the micropump.