The Optimization Analysis on Piezoelectric Micromixer With Modified Tesla Tubes

With consideration of the good configuration of Tesla tube and its perfect performance used in micromixer and micropump, an integration of micromixer and micropump, a novel type of piezoelectric micromixer has been designed. In order to improve the performance of the micromixer, analysis on structure parameters of the Tesla tube, and the optimization on it is the chief work in this paper. Firstly, a novel type of piezoelectric micromixer with Tesla tubes and piezoelectric actuator has been designed, and its structure and working principle were described. Secondly, the numerical analysis on the micromixer with prearranged parameters was carried out to analyze its pumping and mixing performances. Thirdly, an optimization on the structure to improve its performance was carried out. The values of three main structure parameters of the Tesla tube, K = W₁/W₃, L₁ and L₂ were changed to analyze their effects on λ and σ which stand for pumping and mixing performances respectively, then two groups perfect values of those three parameters were selected for optimization. Finally, a perfect design scheme was selected to be structure of mixer; numerical analysis was carried out on it in application of dynamic mesh model. Two fluids arrived perfect mixing after 0.4s with the value of Reynolds number 200, at driven frequency 100Hz, middle displacement amplitude of piezoelectric actuator 15μm. This result demonstrates that, pumping and mixing performances of the piezoelectric micromixer were validated, and its working performance has been improved with the optimization on Tesla tubes, which can be reference for study afterward.