A piezoelectric acoustic pump: Design, mechanism and characterization

A piezoelectric acoustic pump based on cavitation effect was introduced in this paper. The pump comprises a piezoelectric transducer, an energy condenser and a casing. The transducer is a half-wave horn-type transducer, with a flow path inside. The function of the transducer is to generate cavitation clouds at its tip. The condenser, together with the transducer tip, defines a narrow flow path and confines the cavitation clouds pattern. The casing is a hollow cylinder, which is used to control the acoustic boundary. The structure and design of the pump were first introduced in the paper. The cavitation mechanism was next studied and a flow model was also proposed. To control the acoustic pressure, the acoustic boundary was then simulated. Finally, the transducer and pump were characterized. A maximum flow rate of 10.8 mL/min and pressure head of 260 kPa at 0.5 W were achieved. The present pump is noted to possess the advantages of simple structure, high pressure head, low power consumption, continuous flow and without pump body oscillation.