The Design and Analysis of Piezoelectrically Actuated Microfluidic Systems
Microfluidics requires a fundamental understanding of flow characteristics on the microscale. This work combines the design and characterization of passive microfluidic components. The goal is to improve the design and reliability of these devices and to develop and confirm design tools for microfluidic systems. To predict operating performance, models are developed for various components including two designs of a passive conduit valve and a passive mixing chamber. These are examined at different geometric scales and conditions using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to determine the dimensional effect on the available flow rates, secondary flows, and driving pressures. FEA predicts the characteristics of the microfluidic devices including diodicity and achievable flow rates.