• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.39-47
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• 2005

In this paper, a novel high power micropump using active check valves in place of conventional passive check valves employed at the inlet and outlet ports is presented. It actively controls open/close motion of check valves using piezoelectric actuator for expansion/contraction of pump chamber. A prototype micropump having an effective size of $17mm{\times}8mm{\times}11mm$ is fabricated. Frequency-dependent flow rate characteristics, bi-directional flow characteristics and load characteristics are experimentally investigated using a timing control method for valve closing motion. From the obtained experimental results, it is ascertained that optimal values of the phase shift compared to the voltage to drive pump chamber are $15^{\circ}$ for inlet check valve and $195^{\circ}$ for outlet. Based on the obtained results, a sheet-type active shuttle valve that has a unified valve-body for inlet and outlet check valves is proposed. A micropump with an effective size of $10mm{\times}10mm{\times}10mm$ is fabricated and the basic characteristics are experimentally investigated.

• Journal of Drive and Control
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.71-76
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• 2015

The therapy of injecting a fixed amount of a prescribed drug for a predetermined time is an effective treatment in relieving pain during anticancer treatments. Due to recent medical technology development, cancer is currently classified as a disease that can be managed in the patient's lifetime. If patients were able to use a drug delivery system that was portable, sustainable and had an accurate flow control, they would be able to inject medication whenever they need. In this study we developed a piezoelectric micropump for a drug delivery system by designing a pump chamber, check valve and diaphragm. We also developed a driving circuit that consumes low power and to which we applied a variety of signals. We fabricated a portable drug delivery system with this piezoelectric micropump and driving circuit. In addition, through a performance test, we confirmed that the system can precisely control the drug flow rate.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.1864-1869
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• 2003

A novel piezoelectric micropump using active check valves in place of conventional passive check valves in inlet and outlet has been proposed and investigated. It actively controls open/close motion of check valves using piezoelectric actuator for expansion/contraction of pump chamber. In this paper, bi-directional flow characteristics and load characteristics are experimentally investigated using an adequate timing control for valve closing motion with a prototype micropump fabricated with the effective size of $17{\times}8{\times}11mm^{3}$. From the experimental results, it is ascertained that optimal values of phase shift against voltage to drive pump chamber for realization of a miniaturized but powerful micropump, are $15^{\circ}$ in inlet check valve and $195^{\circ}$ in outlet. Based on the obtained results, a sheet-type active shuttle valve that has a unified valve-body for inlet and outlet check valves is proposed. A micropump with the effective size of $10{\times}10{\times}10mm^{3}$ is fabricated and basic characteristics are experimentally investigated.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.355-361
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• 2012

Though a micro pump is a crucial element in miniaturized bio-fluidic systems or drug delivery systems, it has some intrinsic disadvantages such as backward flow, pulsation of flow, low repeatability and producibility, and high cost. To overcome these limitation, a PZT disc actuated micro pump including a novel ring-shaped multi-flap check valve is introduced. To enhance the performance of the micro pump, the static behaviour of flap valve module and the micro fluidic behavior of fluids are numerically modelled and analyzed. As results of the numerical analysis, the optimal dimension and configuration of the ring-shaped multi flap valve are $1{\times}0.05$ mm and 2 (inlet side)${\times}1$ (outlet side) type. The obtained maximum flow rates and flow resolution are about 90 ml/min and 30 ${\mu}l$/stroke respectively.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2009

In the present experimental study, the pumping performances of diffuser/nozzle based piezoelectric micropumps are estimated with different operating factors and geometries. Here, the effects of the input voltage and frequency on the pumping performances have been examined together with the influences of the positions of the inlet and outlet. The results show that the flow rate of the micropump is larger with larger input voltage with the largest flow rates for the frequency to be close to 6.0 Hz all through the current experimental study. Also, it has been found that the positions of the inlet and outlet affect much on the performance of the piezoelectric micropumps. Error estimation has been carried out for the evaluation of the pumping performance in association with the uncertainty of the measurement.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.8-15
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• 2017

In this paper, an equivalent brake hydraulic circuit with a piezoelectric hydraulic pump was constructed, and load pressure control for better pressurization/depressurization characteristics was conducted. To understand pressurization/depressurization characteristics of the equivalent hydraulic circuit, the relation between the load pressure and the input voltage was revealed experimentally. Experiments were also conducted to observe effect of the solenoid valve on depressurization characteristics. In the pressurization experiment, it was validated that transient response time required to achieve desired load pressure may be reduced through voltage control to change pressurization gradient. By applying the valve on/off time control and voltage control, it was also possible to reduce response time in the depressurization process. Therefore, transient response time may be improved within 10ms for pressurization and within 30 ms for depressurization using the control technique suggested in this study. The load pressure control method proposed in this study is useful for controlling load pressure of a hydraulic brake system with the piezoelectric hydraulic pump.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.1824-1827
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• 2005

For application to micro fluid control systems such as ${\mu}TAS$ (Micro Total Analysis Systems) and DDS (Drug Delivery Systems), it is very significant to handle precise and minute flow rates with low pressure pulsation. In this study, a novel valveless piezoelectric pump using peristaltic motion with three disk type PZT actuators is presented. The newly devised pump with an effective size of $70mm{\times}60mm{\times}55mm$ has three actuator layers connected in series from inlet to outlet. The PZT actuator has a maximum displacement of 240 ${\mu}m$ and a maximum force of 1.6 N. When the driving voltage for PZT actuators is sequentially applied with a certain phase shift, the pumping is performed by peristaltic motion of liquid volume. The working fluid is shut off without the driving voltage. Three methods for sequential driving are proposed and experimentally investigated. First and second methods utilize an intermittent sinusoidal waveform with phase shift of $90{\circ}\;and\;120^{\circ}$, respectively. Third method uses a rectangular waveform with phase shift of $90^{\circ}$. A controller with multi-phase shifter is designed and fabricated. Then, frequency and voltage-flow rate characteristics and load pressure-flow rate characteristics are experimentally investigated to verify the validity of the developed pump.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.1282-1285
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• 2004

The high voltage driving system with multi-phase shifter including piezoelectric actuators comprised a driving power unit for outputting the driving power by converting input alternate current into direct current, a frequency shifting unit for supplying the direct current power and shifting or generating a frequency, a high-voltage amplification unit for amplifying the input signal outputted from the driving power unit and the frequency shifting unit into a high-voltage signal, and a phase shifting unit for shifting the phase difference of the amplified signal applied to the high-voltage amplification unit and driving plural piezoelectric actuators sequentially. The results that the operating voltage was stable, the voltage loss ratio was low and the response velocity was fast could be obtained. An experiment on performance of the high voltage driving system with multi-phase shifter designed and manufactured as above described was conducted by using a piezoelectric pump having 3 sheets of round unimorph piezoelectric actuators laminated respectively in a rectangular case. It sucks any fluid by causing the first piezoelectric actuator to shift from the inlet porter side, the phase delay of 60$^{\circ}$ causes the second piezoelectric actuator to begin to shift, and the phase delay of 120$^{\circ}$ causes the third piezoelectric actuator to begin to shift. As a result of measuring each change in the outlet flow rate of the piezoelectric pump, it was shown that the frequency-flow rate characteristic, the voltage-flow characteristic, and the load pressure-flow rate characteristic were improved.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.325-325
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• 2008

스크린 프린팅에 의한 압전 후막은 MEMS 공정을 이용하여 마이크로 펌프, 마이크로 벨브, 마이크로 센서, 마이크로 로봇 등 여러 초소형 기계부품에 응용되고 있으며, Sol-Gel, PLD를 이용해 증착된 막 등에 비해 수십${\mu}m$의 비교적 두꺼운 막을 형성시킬 수 있는 장점을 가지고 있다. 그러나 실리콘 기판을 사용하여 스크린 프린팅으로 형성된 압전 후막의 경우, 공정상 바인더를 연소시키는 과정을 거치게 되므로, 밀집된(Dense) 구조를 가지는 막을 만들기가 어렵다. 이로 인해 스크린 프린팅에 의한 후막은 전기적 특성 및 기계적 특성이 떨어지는 경향이 있다. 본 연구에서는 스크린 프린팅에 의한 압전 후막의 밀집된 구조 및 특성을 향상시키기 위해 0.01Pb$(Mg_{1/2}W_{1/2})$O3-0.41Pb$(Ni_{1/3}Nb_{2/3})O_3-0.35PbTiO_3-0.23PbZrO_3$의 powder와 Attrition 밀링 처리된 powder를 비율별로 혼합하여 입자의 크기를 변화시켜 막의 충진 밀도를 향상시켰으며, 열처리 효과를 극대화시키기 위해 RTA(Rapidly Thermal Annealing)를 통해 열처리 하였다. Attrition 밀링에 의한 파우더를 각각 비율별로 100%, 50%, 25%로 혼합하여 만든 압전 세라믹 페이스트는 P-type(100)Si Wafer sample 위에 $1{\mu}m$의 하부전극용($1100^{\circ}C$) Ag 전극을 screen print하여 소결했다. 그리고 다시 전극이 형성된 Si wafer 위에 스크린 프린팅하고, 건조 한 후 RTA로 300초 동안 열처리 한 결과 밀집된 구조를 가지는 압전 후막을 제작 수 있었다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.229-232
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• 2005

This paper presents the design and fabrication of backflow prevented Micropump using the metal membrane. The Micropump is consisted of the lower plate, metal membrane, upper plate and the piezoelectric-element. The lower plate includes the micro channel and the inlet, outlet of the Micropump. The upper plate includes the micro channel and connects the piezoelectric-element. These plate are fabricated on the Pyrex glass wafer by sandblasting process. The metal membrane does roll of check valve that is prevented backflow of the Micropump. The metal membrane is fabricated on the stainless steel by laser machining. Piezoelectric-element is actuated the Micropump and controlled flowing of fluid. The Micropump is fabricated by bonding process of these multi-layer.