A numerical design study of the valveless diffuser pump using a lumped-mass model

This paper presents a lumped-mass model especially developed for valveless diffuser pumps. It is implemented using MATLAB. The model is tested for different previously reported valveless diffuser pumps and shows good agreement with the experimental results. The model predicts the flow-pressure characteristics for different excitation levels. The model makes it possible to study flows and pressures inside the pump. The simulations show that the maximum excitation level for the valveless diffuser pump is probably limited by low chamber pressure. Modified designs are tested and it is shown that a pump with two serially connected pump chambers working in anti-phase is advantageous compared with a single chamber pump for both the maximum volume flow and maximum pump pressure. The simulations also indicate that scaling down the diffuser elements from an throat cross-sectional area to a throat cross-sectional area probably increases the attainable pressure head.