Micromachined magnetohydrodynamic actuators and sensors

In a fluidic system, the improvement comprising a magnetohydrodynamic microdevice having at least one pair of spaced electrodes being located in a flow channel,

• said microdevice comprising a magnet section selected from the group of permanent magnets and AC magnets, and a fluidic section selected from the group of actuators and sensors,
• said fluidic section comprising a body having said flow channel therein, and said at least one pair of electrodes being positioned on opposite sides of said flow channel,
• said body being composed of a glass-silicon-glass sandwich construction, said flow channel and said electrodes being located in the silicon section of said sandwich, and including an inlet and an outlet for said flow channel,
• wherein fluid flow in the flow channel is perpendicular to both a magnetic field and electrical current between the electrodes.

An MHD microdevice comprising a magnetic section and a fluidic section,

• said fluidic section being composed of a glass-silicon structure,
• said fluidic section including a fluid flow channel and a pair of electrodes on opposite sides of said flow channel,
• said fluid flow channel being located in a silicon portion of said structure,
• said pair of electrodes being adapted to be connected to a power source for producing electrical current across said electrodes,
• whereby the direction of the electrical current through said electrodes and the direction of a magnetic field produced by said magnet section are perpendicular to each other and to a direction of fluid flow in said flow channel, causes fluid to flow in said flow channel.