Modeling and Numerical Analysis of a Circular Piezoelectric Actuator for Valveless Micropumps

This article investigates mechanical behavior of a circular piezoelectric actuator for valveless micropumps. An analytical equation for analyzing the deflection of multi-layer piezoelectric structure is derived based on the electro-elastic theory and the thin plate theory. We assume that the distribution of electric potential along the thickness direction is governed by the square law to satisfy the Maxwell static electricity equation. The validity of the proposed analytical model is further studied by using the ANSYS software. Furthermore, the effects of the dimensions and material properties of a multi-layer piezoelectric structure on its deflection are analyzed for optimal design of the actuator. The simulation results show that the thickness ratio of the piezoelectric layer and the passive plate in the multi-layer structure can be optimized to obtain the largest deflection. The important design parameters of the piezoelectric actuator, such as the passive plate properties and material, and the piezoelectric layer dimension and material, and the bonding layer dimension and its excitation voltage, should be selected to improve the performance of the valveless micropump.