The dispensing behavior of a piezo-actuated micro-valve that closes the gap between the nanoliter range (e.g., inkjet technology) and the microliter range (e.g., standard displacement technology) has been investigated by experimental and numerical means. Water and different Newtonian model fluids with defined fluid properties were utilized for experimental characterization. The dispensed amount per single dispensing event could be freely adjusted from a few nanoliters to several hundred microliters showing the large working range and flexibility of the micro-valve, while maintaining a high accuracy with a low relative standard deviation. A correlation between fluid properties, dispensing parameters, and the resulting steady-state mass flow was established, showing good consistency of the experimental data. Furthermore, a three-dimensional numerical model for the quantitative simulation of the micro-valve's dispensing behavior regarding fluid mass flow was developed and validated, showing a high degree of correspondence between the experiments and simulations. Investigations of the transient behavior after the opening of the micro-valve revealed a nonlinear relationship between the valve opening time and dispensed mass for short opening times. This behavior was dependent on the working pressure but independent of the type of fluid.
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Experimental Characterization and Simulation of a Piezo-Actuated Micro Dispensing Valve
Bastian Bonhoeffer,
Bastian Bonhoeffer
Novartis Pharma AG,
Technical R&D,
P.O. Box,
Basel CH-4002, Switzerland
e-mail: bastian.bonhoeffer@novartis.com
Technical R&D,
P.O. Box,
Basel CH-4002, Switzerland
e-mail: bastian.bonhoeffer@novartis.com
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Marlon Boldrini,
Marlon Boldrini
Institute of Computational Physics,
Zurich University of Applied Sciences,
P.O. Box,
Winterthur 8401, Switzerland
e-mail: bolm@zhaw.ch
Zurich University of Applied Sciences,
P.O. Box,
Winterthur 8401, Switzerland
e-mail: bolm@zhaw.ch
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Gernot Boiger,
Gernot Boiger
Institute of Computational Physics,
Zurich University of Applied Sciences,
P.O. Box,
Winterthur 8401, Switzerland
e-mail: boig@zhaw.ch
Zurich University of Applied Sciences,
P.O. Box,
Winterthur 8401, Switzerland
e-mail: boig@zhaw.ch
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Arno Kwade,
Arno Kwade
Institute of Particle Technology,
TU Braunschweig,
Braunschweig 38106, Germany
e-mail: a.kwade@tu-braunschweig.de
TU Braunschweig,
Braunschweig 38106, Germany
e-mail: a.kwade@tu-braunschweig.de
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Michael Juhnke
Michael Juhnke
Novartis Pharma AG,
Technical R&D,
P.O. Box,
Basel CH-4002, Switzerland
e-mail: michael.juhnke@novartis.com
Technical R&D,
P.O. Box,
Basel CH-4002, Switzerland
e-mail: michael.juhnke@novartis.com
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Bastian Bonhoeffer
Novartis Pharma AG,
Technical R&D,
P.O. Box,
Basel CH-4002, Switzerland
e-mail: bastian.bonhoeffer@novartis.com
Technical R&D,
P.O. Box,
Basel CH-4002, Switzerland
e-mail: bastian.bonhoeffer@novartis.com
Marlon Boldrini
Institute of Computational Physics,
Zurich University of Applied Sciences,
P.O. Box,
Winterthur 8401, Switzerland
e-mail: bolm@zhaw.ch
Zurich University of Applied Sciences,
P.O. Box,
Winterthur 8401, Switzerland
e-mail: bolm@zhaw.ch
Gernot Boiger
Institute of Computational Physics,
Zurich University of Applied Sciences,
P.O. Box,
Winterthur 8401, Switzerland
e-mail: boig@zhaw.ch
Zurich University of Applied Sciences,
P.O. Box,
Winterthur 8401, Switzerland
e-mail: boig@zhaw.ch
Arno Kwade
Institute of Particle Technology,
TU Braunschweig,
Braunschweig 38106, Germany
e-mail: a.kwade@tu-braunschweig.de
TU Braunschweig,
Braunschweig 38106, Germany
e-mail: a.kwade@tu-braunschweig.de
Michael Juhnke
Novartis Pharma AG,
Technical R&D,
P.O. Box,
Basel CH-4002, Switzerland
e-mail: michael.juhnke@novartis.com
Technical R&D,
P.O. Box,
Basel CH-4002, Switzerland
e-mail: michael.juhnke@novartis.com
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Fluids Engineering Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF FLUIDS ENGINEERING. Manuscript received April 6, 2016; final manuscript received December 14, 2016; published online March 20, 2017. Assoc. Editor: Mhamed Boutaous.
J. Fluids Eng. May 2017, 139(5): 051105 (9 pages)
Published Online: March 20, 2017
Article history
Received:
April 6, 2016
Revised:
December 14, 2016
Citation
Bonhoeffer, B., Boldrini, M., Boiger, G., Kwade, A., and Juhnke, M. (March 20, 2017). "Experimental Characterization and Simulation of a Piezo-Actuated Micro Dispensing Valve." ASME. J. Fluids Eng. May 2017; 139(5): 051105. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4035634
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