Micropump for electronics cooling
AssigneePurdue Research Foundation
InventorsVishal Singhal, Suresh V. Garimella
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Abstract
A micropump including one or more microchannels for receiving a fluid and a plurality of electrodes arranged on a diaphragm and energized in a manner to provide an enhanced electrohydrodynamic flow of fluid through the one or more microchannels. The micropump may be used for pumping a working fluid for removing heat from a heat-generating electronic component or for delivery of a drug, medicine, or other treatment agent as or in a fluid to a patient.
Claims14
A micropump including one or more microchannels for receiving a fluid and a plurality of electrodes arranged and energized in a manner to impart electrohydrodynamic-induced flow to the fluid in the one or more microchannels, a vibratable diaphragm facing said one or more microchannels, and an actuator for imparting vibration motion to the diaphragm relative to fluid in the one or more microchannels, whereby the diaphragm vibration motion together with the electrohydrodynamic-induced flow produce a higher volume flow rate of fluid than the electrohydrodynamic-induced flow alone.
A micropump including one or more microchannels for receiving a fluid, a vibratable diaphragm closing off said one or more microchannels, and a plurality of electrodes disposed on a surface of the diaphragm facing said one or more microchannels and energized in a manner to impart electrohydrodynamic-induced flow to the fluid in the one or more microchannels, and an actuator for imparting vibration motion to the diaphragm, whereby the diaphragm vibration motion together with the electrohydrodynamic-induced flow produce a higher volume flow rate of fluid than the electrohydrodynamic-induced flow alone.
A method of flowing a fluid, comprising imparting motion to the fluid by energizing electrodes proximate the fluid in one or more microchannels to impart electrohydrodynamic-induced flow to the fluid while vibrating a diaphragm relative to the fluid in the one or more microchannels such that a higher volume flow rate of fluid is achieved than with electrohydrodynamic-induced flow alone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.