Flexible Electrohydrodynamic Fluid-Driven Valveless Water Pump via Immiscible Interface

Flexible Electrohydrodynamic Fluid-Driven Valveless Water Pump via Immiscible Interface

2024 | Zebing Mao, Naoki Hosoya, and Shingo Maeda
This study presents a flexible, valveless water pump driven by electrohydrodynamic (EHD) fluid, utilizing an immiscible interface between EHD fluid and aqueous liquid. The pump is designed with a bidirectional EHD pump and a nozzle–diffuser system, enabling efficient fluid manipulation without mechanical components. The EHD fluid, a dielectric liquid, generates strong flow under direct current voltage, allowing the pump to operate noiselessly and without moving parts. The immiscible interface between the EHD fluid and water enables the pump to move aqueous liquids without direct contact with mechanical components. The pump is fabricated using digital manufacturing techniques, with the EHD pump and nozzle–diffuser system integrated into a planar structure. The design incorporates a fluidic channel, nozzle, and diffuser to regulate fluid flow. The pump's performance is modeled and validated through experiments, showing a maximum flow rate of 20.39 ml/min in one direction and -11.51 ml/min in the other at 10 kV. The pump also demonstrates the ability to manipulate air bubbles and generate water-in-oil droplets, highlighting its potential for applications in microfluidics, lab-on-a-chip devices, and wearable fluidic systems. The study addresses the limitations of conventional EHD pumps, which are restricted to pumping functional and dielectric liquids. The proposed pump expands the range of liquids that can be pumped, including aqueous solutions and mixtures. The pump's flexibility and lack of mechanical components make it suitable for integration into wearable and portable devices. However, the system relies on high-voltage power sources, which may limit its portability and autonomy. Despite these challenges, the pump shows promising potential for various applications requiring precise and controllable fluid pumping.This study presents a flexible, valveless water pump driven by electrohydrodynamic (EHD) fluid, utilizing an immiscible interface between EHD fluid and aqueous liquid. The pump is designed with a bidirectional EHD pump and a nozzle–diffuser system, enabling efficient fluid manipulation without mechanical components. The EHD fluid, a dielectric liquid, generates strong flow under direct current voltage, allowing the pump to operate noiselessly and without moving parts. The immiscible interface between the EHD fluid and water enables the pump to move aqueous liquids without direct contact with mechanical components. The pump is fabricated using digital manufacturing techniques, with the EHD pump and nozzle–diffuser system integrated into a planar structure. The design incorporates a fluidic channel, nozzle, and diffuser to regulate fluid flow. The pump's performance is modeled and validated through experiments, showing a maximum flow rate of 20.39 ml/min in one direction and -11.51 ml/min in the other at 10 kV. The pump also demonstrates the ability to manipulate air bubbles and generate water-in-oil droplets, highlighting its potential for applications in microfluidics, lab-on-a-chip devices, and wearable fluidic systems. The study addresses the limitations of conventional EHD pumps, which are restricted to pumping functional and dielectric liquids. The proposed pump expands the range of liquids that can be pumped, including aqueous solutions and mixtures. The pump's flexibility and lack of mechanical components make it suitable for integration into wearable and portable devices. However, the system relies on high-voltage power sources, which may limit its portability and autonomy. Despite these challenges, the pump shows promising potential for various applications requiring precise and controllable fluid pumping.
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[slides and audio] Flexible Electrohydrodynamic Fluid-Driven Valveless Water Pump via Immiscible Interface