Design and implementation of ejector driven micropump

The working principle of the ejector, which converts fluid energy into suction power, was utilized for designing the miniaturized pump. The present micropump with the structure scale in the size range of microns to millimeters was fabricated through the MEMS manufacturing processes. The pump may offer portable convenience and requires no electrical power; especially it can be used in many applications where electricity is unsafe or impractical. To optimize the design, the size of the diffuser throat in the micropump was varied and used as a design parameter. The optimization results indicate that there exists an optimal width for the diffuser throat, which is critically important to the design of an ejector driven micropump. For testing the pump, the fabricated micropump was driven by compressed air from a portable can to pump water and air. In the experimental tests, the pumping flow rates of water and air were measured and compared for design optimization. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.