<title>UV-LIGA microfabrication and test of an ac-type micropump based on the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) principle</title>

Abstract

This paper reports on a research effort to design, microfabricate and test an AC-type magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) micropump using UV-LIGA microfabrication. The micropump is driven using the Lorentz force and can be used to deliver electrically conductive fluids. In the AC-type MHD micropump developed in our laboratory, a diffuser/nozzle is integrated with a MHD driving chamber. With a magnetic field supplied by an external permanent magnet, and an AC electrical current supplied across two copper side-walls, the distributed body force generated will produce a pressure difference on the fluid in the pumping chamber. The directional dependence of the flow resistance of the diffuser/nozzle allows for a net output flow in response to the oscillating pressure generated by the sinusoidal current. The major advantage of a MHD-based micropump is that it does not contain any moving parts. It may have potential applications in medicine delivery, and biological or biomedical studies. An AC-driven micropump may be used to improve on the performance obtained in tests of a DC-driven prototype micropump, that showed pumping performance was significantly degraded by bubble generation.