A Hybrid Thermopneumatic and Electrostatic Microvalve with Integrated Position Sensing

作者：Potkay Joseph A^*; Wise Kensall D

来源：Micromachines, 2012, 3(2): 379-395.

DOI：10.3390/mi3020379

• microvalve
• thermopneumatic
• electrostatic
• low power
• mu GC
• hybrid actuator

This paper presents a low-power hybrid thermopneumatic microvalve with an electrostatic hold and integrated valve plate position sensing. This combination of actuators in a single structure enables a high throw and force actuator with low energy consumption, a combination that is difficult to otherwise achieve. The completed 7.5 mm x 10.3 mm x 1.5 mm valve has an open flow rate of 8 sccm at 600 Pa, a leak rate of 2.2 x 10(-3) sccm at 115 kPa, a open-to-closed fluidic conductance ratio of nearly one million, an actuation time of 430 ms at 250 mW, and a required power of 90 mW while closed. It additionally requires no power to open, and has a built-in capacitive position sensor with a sensitivity of 9.8 fF/kPa. The paper additionally presents analytical models of the valve components, design tradeoffs, and guidelines for achieving an optimized device.

• 出版日期2012-6