Theoretical and experimental study of MHD (magnetohydrodynamic) micropump

This paper presents a novel micropump of which pumping mechanism is based u pon magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) principles. MHD is the study of flow of elect rically conducting liquids in electric and magnetic fields. Lorentz force i s the pumping source of conductive, aqueous solutions in the MHD micropump. Conducting fluid in the microchannel of the MHD micropump is driven by Lor entz force in the direction perpendicular to both magnetic and electric fie lds. The performance of the micropump is obtained by measuring the pressure head difference and flow rate as the applied voltage changes from 10 to 60 V-DC at 0.19 and 0.44 Tesla (T). The pressure head difference is Is mm at 38 mA and the flow rate is 63 mu l/min at 1.8 mA when the inside diameter o f inlet/outlet tube is 2 mm and the magnetic flux density is 0.44 T. Bubble generation by the electrolysis of the conducting liquid can be observed. T he performance of the MHD micropump obtained theoretically in single phase is compared with the experimental results. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. A ll rights reserved.