Title :
Thin film NiTi fluidic-thermostat array
Author :
Shin, Daniel D. ; Lee, Dong-Gun ; Mohanchandra, Kotekar P. ; Carman, Gregory P.
Author_Institution :
Mech. & Aerosp. Eng. Dept., California Univ., Los Angeles, CA, USA
Abstract :
An autonomous fluidic-thermostat array was successfully designed and fabricated using thin film nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy (SMA). Unlike existing micro-devices that require external electric sources for opening/closing, the present device relies on changes in the environmental fluid temperature. This micro-scale device was tested as an array of thermostats and produced a maximum flow rate of 722.8 ml/min with 34.5 kPa of forward pressure. The flow rate reduced as much as 60% when the temperature of water increased to 80°C. The large energy density property (i.e. 25 MJ/m3) of NiTi enabled the thermostat flap to reduce flow rate with dynamic liquid pressures ranging from 6.9 kPa to 34.5 kPa.
Keywords :
microactuators; microfluidics; nickel alloys; shape memory effects; thermostats; thin film devices; titanium alloys; 6.9 to 34.5 kPa; 80 degC; Ni-Ti; SMA energy density property; environmental fluid temperature induced changes; flow restricting thermostats; temperature controlled flow rate reduction; tethers; thermostat flap; thin film fluidic-thermostat array; thin film shape memory alloy; Fluid flow control; Microvalves; Shape control; Shape memory alloys; Silicon; Substrates; Temperature; Thermostats; Transistors; Valves;
Conference_Titel :
Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems, 2005. Digest of Technical Papers. TRANSDUCERS '05. The 13th International Conference on
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-8994-8
DOI :
10.1109/SENSOR.2005.1496479
