KR102547256B1 - Electroosmotic pump - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electroosmotic pump, in which a plurality of electroosmotic pumps are arranged in parallel to reduce loss of flow rate and to distribute fluid and provide fluid at an appropriate mixing ratio.

Description

Electroosmotic pump {ELECTROOSMOTIC PUMP}

The present invention relates to an electroosmotic pump equipped with a membrane through which fluid flows by electroosmosis.

An electroosmotic pump is a pump that moves a fluid by using an electroosmotic phenomenon that occurs when a voltage (or electricity) is applied to an electrode provided or formed on a membrane.

The electroosmotic pump membrane provided in the electroosmotic pump as described above is made of a porous material having holes to allow fluid to flow therein, and different electrodes are applied to both sides of the holes, thereby causing an electroosmosis phenomenon.

As a patent related to such a membrane for an electroosmotic pump and an electroosmotic pump, the patent described in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1488408 (hereinafter referred to as 'Patent Document 1') is known.

The electroosmotic pump of Patent Document 1 includes a membrane allowing movement of fluid, and first and second electrodes provided on both sides of the membrane and formed of a porous material or structure to allow movement of fluid. do.

Accordingly, when a voltage is applied to the first and second electrodes, a pumping force is generated inside the membrane by an electroosmotic phenomenon, through which the fluid flows in one direction.

However, in the case of Patent Document 1, the membrane of the electroosmotic pump may be manufactured using silica, glass, etc. having a size of about 1 μm to about 5 μm. As described above, silica, glass, etc. However, there is a problem in that the flow of the fluid flowing through the electroosmotic pump cannot be easily achieved because the pores of the membrane are irregularly formed.

In addition, since the pores of the membrane are irregularly formed, it is very difficult to set the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the membrane as desired, and as a result, there is a problem in that an error in the flow rate of the electroosmotic pump manufactured in a miniature size may occur.

In addition, there is a problem in that it is difficult to supply and mix various types of fluids by supplying and discharging fluids using a single supply unit and a single discharge unit.

Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1488408

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and at least any two membranes among a plurality of membranes provided in an electroosmotic pump have different characteristics, and the diversity of flow rate or flow rate discharged through the electroosmotic pump It is an object of the present invention to provide an electroosmotic pump capable of securing a

An electroosmotic pump according to one aspect of the present invention includes a membrane having first and second electrode layers formed on upper and lower surfaces, respectively, and fluid flowing therein; a power supply unit for applying electricity to the first and second electrode layers; a supply unit supplying fluid to the membrane; A discharge unit through which the fluid flowing through the membrane is discharged, wherein a plurality of membranes are provided, at least one of the supply unit and the discharge unit connects the plurality of membranes in common, and the plurality of membranes are provided. At least any two of the membranes are characterized in that they have different characteristics.

In addition, the membrane is characterized in that it is anodized aluminum oxide formed by anodizing a metal.

In addition, at least any two of the plurality of membranes are characterized in that they have different pore areas and have different characteristics.

In addition, it is characterized in that any one of the two membranes is formed with a pore hole and a permeation hole having a larger pore area than the pore hole.

In addition, at least any two membranes among the plurality of membranes have different distances between electrodes and thus have different characteristics.

In addition, a membrane having first and second electrode layers formed on the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, and fluid flowing therein; a power supply unit for applying electricity to the first and second electrode layers; a supply unit supplying fluid to the membrane; A discharge unit through which the fluid flowing through the membrane is discharged, wherein the membrane is partitioned into a plurality of supply regions and each has a different characteristic from an individual first electrode layer, and the supply unit is provided in each of the plurality of supply regions. It is characterized in that a plurality is provided to supply the fluid.

In addition, a membrane having first and second electrodes formed on the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, and fluid flowing therein; a power supply unit for applying electricity to the first and second electrode layers; a supply unit supplying fluid to the membrane; and a discharge unit through which the fluid flowing through the membrane is discharged, wherein the membrane is partitioned into a plurality of discharge regions and each has a different characteristic from an individual second electrode layer, and the discharge unit is divided into a plurality of discharge regions, respectively. It is characterized in that a plurality is provided to discharge the fluid.

As described above, the electroosmotic pump according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has the following effects.

The same flow rate can be maintained by supplementing the flow rate lost through the other membranes arranged in parallel through the other membrane.

In addition, since the fluid introduced through the common supply unit is discharged through the individual discharge units, different flow rates can be secured within the same time using the individual discharge units, and effective flow distribution can be expected.

In addition, by supplying different types of fluids to the supply unit divided into a plurality of regions, the mixing ratio of the fluids can be easily adjusted using different characteristics of the membranes.

1 is a layout view of an electroosmotic pump according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 (a) is a perspective view of the first membrane.
Figure 2 (b) is a perspective view of the second membrane.
Figure 3 (a) is a cross-sectional view of the first membrane.
Figure 3 (b) is a cross-sectional view of the second membrane.
3(c) is a cross-sectional view of a second membrane formed by etching the upper surface of the first membrane;
3(d) is a cross-sectional view of a second membrane formed by etching the lower surface of the first membrane.
3(e) is a cross-sectional view of a second membrane formed by etching the upper and lower surfaces of the first membrane;
4 is a layout view of an electroosmotic pump according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a layout view of an electroosmotic pump according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a cross-sectional view of an electroosmotic pump according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The following merely illustrates the principles of the invention. Therefore, those skilled in the art can invent various devices that embody the principles of the invention and fall within the concept and scope of the invention, even though not explicitly described or shown herein. In addition, it should be understood that all conditional terms and embodiments listed in this specification are, in principle, expressly intended only for the purpose of making the concept of the invention understood, and are not limited to such specifically listed embodiments and conditions. .

The above objects, features and advantages will become more apparent through the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and accordingly, those skilled in the art to which the invention belongs will be able to easily implement the technical idea of the invention. .

Embodiments described in this specification will be described with reference to sectional views and/or perspective views, which are ideal exemplary views of the present invention. Thicknesses of films and regions and diameters of holes shown in these drawings are exaggerated for effective description of the technical content. Accordingly, the shape of the illustrative drawings may be modified due to manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances. Therefore, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the specific shapes shown, but also include changes in shapes generated according to manufacturing processes. Accordingly, the regions illustrated in the drawings have schematic properties, and the shapes of the regions illustrated in the drawings are intended to illustrate a specific shape of a region of a device and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Before entering the description, the following items are defined.

The pumping force referred to in the following description means a force for fluid flow by an electroosmotic effect. Therefore, the pumping power of the pore hole 102 is proportional to the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the inside of the pore hole 102, and the pumping power of the permeation hole 103 is proportional to the flow rate flowing through the inside of the permeation hole 103. It can be understood that

The flow rate 'Q' of the fluid flowing through the electroosmotic effect can be defined as 'Equation 1' as follows.

(Equation 1) Q=U×A

In this case, 'U' means the flow rate of the fluid due to the electroosmotic effect, and 'A' means the area of the pore hole 102 or permeation hole 103 where the electroosmotic effect occurs.

In addition, the flow rate 'U' of the fluid due to the electroosmotic effect may be defined by 'Equation 2' as follows.

(Equation 2) U=-(ξ×ε×E _x )/(μ)

In this case, 'ξ' means the zeta potential of the inner surface of the pore hole 102 or the permeation hole 103, 'ε' means the permittivity of the fluid flowing through the electroosmotic pump, and 'E _x ' denotes an electric field applied in the flow direction of the fluid generated by the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105, and 'μ' denotes the dynamic viscosity of the fluid flowing through the electroosmotic pump.

Also, in the following description, as an example, it is assumed that the flow of the fluid flows from the top of the membrane 100 for the electroosmotic pump to the bottom when the fluid is pumped and flows through the electroosmotic pump.

Electroosmotic pump 10 according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention

Hereinafter, an electroosmotic pump 10 according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 .

1 is a layout view of an electroosmotic pump according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view of a first membrane, FIG. 2(b) is a perspective view of a second membrane, and FIG. 3(a) is a perspective view of a first membrane. ) is a cross-sectional view of the first membrane, FIG. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view of the third membrane, FIG. 3(c) is a cross-sectional view of the third membrane formed by etching the upper surface of the first membrane, and FIG. 2(d) is a cross-sectional view of the third membrane. A cross-sectional view of a third membrane formed by etching the lower surface of the first membrane, and FIG. 2(e) is a cross-sectional view of the third membrane formed by etching the upper and lower surfaces of the first membrane.

The electroosmotic pump 10 according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 formed on the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, and a membrane 100 through which fluid flows therein, Includes a power supply unit for applying electricity to the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105, a supply unit 140 for supplying fluid to the membrane 100, and a discharge unit 150 for discharging the fluid flowing through the membrane 100 However, a plurality of membranes 100 are provided, at least one of the supply unit 140 and the discharge unit 150 connects the plurality of membranes 100 in common, and at least any two of the plurality of membranes 100 The membrane 100 is characterized by having different characteristics.

The membrane 100 is made up of a plurality, and is composed of a first membrane 110, a second membrane 120, and a third membrane 130.

As shown in FIG. 2(a), the first membrane 110 refers to a membrane 100 in which a plurality of pore holes 102 are regularly arranged in an anodized film 101 formed by anodizing a metal.

The first membrane 110 includes an anodic oxide film 101 formed by anodic oxidation of a metal, a pore hole 102 formed to penetrate the upper and lower surfaces of the anodic oxide film 101, and the upper and lower surfaces of the anodic oxide film 101. It includes first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 respectively formed on.

The anodic oxide film 101 means a film formed by anodic oxidation of a base metal, and the pore hole 102 means a hole formed in the process of forming an anodic oxide film by anodic oxidation of a metal.

Therefore, the anodic oxide film 101 is manufactured by anodic oxidation of the base metal to form the anodic oxide film 101 on the surface of the metal, and then removing the metal. That is, it is formed naturally in the process of formation.

For example, when the base metal is aluminum (Al) or an aluminum alloy, when aluminum (Al) or an aluminum alloy is anodized, anodized aluminum (Al ₂ O ₃ ) is formed on the surface of the aluminum (AI).

The anodic oxide film 101 is divided into a barrier layer in which the pore hole 102 is not formed, and a porous layer in which the pore hole 102 is formed therein. In this case, the barrier layer is located on top of the metal base material, and the porous layer is located on top of the barrier layer.

When the base metal is removed from the metal base material on which the anodic oxide film having the barrier layer and the porous layer is formed, only the anodic oxide film 101 remains.

In this case, since the pore hole 102 should be formed to pass through the upper and lower surfaces of the anodic oxide film, the metal base material and the barrier layer are also removed.

In other words, the formation of the anodic oxide film and the pore holes 102 are produced by anodic oxidation of the metal and then removing the barrier layer in which the pore holes 102 are not formed among the metal and the anodic oxide film. Therefore, the anodic oxide film is composed of only the porous layer in which the pore holes 102 are formed, and the pore holes 102 are formed to penetrate the upper and lower surfaces of the anodic oxide film.

The pore hole 102 is formed in plurality, the diameter of the plurality of pore holes 102 is uniformly formed, and the arrangement of the pore hole 102 is also regular.

As shown in FIG. 2(b), the second membrane 120 has a different pore area than the first membrane 110.

The second membrane 120 has a pore area 102 and a permeation hole 103 having a larger pore area than the pore hole 102, so that it has a larger pore area than the first membrane 110.

In detail, a plurality of penetration holes 103 are formed to pass through the upper and lower surfaces of the anodic oxide film 101 in the same way as the pore hole 102 . The penetration hole 103 is formed by etching the anodic oxide film 101 after the anodic oxide film 101 and the pore hole 102 are formed.

The permeation hole 103 has a larger pore area than the pore hole 102 . That is, the diameter of the permeation hole 103 is formed to have a larger diameter than the diameter of the pore hole 102.

A plurality of pore holes 102 are positioned between the spaced apart spaces of the plurality of penetration holes 103 .

In other words, a plurality of pore holes 102 are positioned between two adjacent penetration holes 103 . In addition, the separation distance between the two adjacent pore holes 102 is smaller than the separation distance between the two adjacent permeation holes 103.

As the permeation hole 103 having a larger pore area than the pore hole 102 is formed in the second membrane 120, the flow rate of the fluid can be increased compared to the first membrane 110 in which only the pore hole 102 is formed. .

In detail, when the fluid flows only through the pore holes 102 of the membrane 100, since the pore holes 102 are naturally formed in the process of anodizing a metal, the area of the pore holes 102 is a certain value. cannot exceed. In other words, the total area of the plurality of pore holes 102 has a kind of limit value. Therefore, by forming the permeation hole 103 in the anodic oxidation film 101, the flow rate of the membrane 100 can be easily increased.

As shown in FIG. 3, the third membrane 130 has a distance between the first membrane 110 and the other electrode.

In other words, at least any two membranes 100 among the plurality of membranes 100 are configured to have different distances between electrodes and thus have different characteristics.

The separation distance between the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 of the third membrane 130 is smaller than the separation distance between the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 of the first membrane 110 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , the shape of the third membrane 130 may be composed of three types.

As shown in FIG. 3(b), the thickness of the third membrane 130 is thinner than that of the first membrane 110, and the distance between the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 can be reduced. In other words, the height h2 of the third membrane 130 is lower than the height h1 of the first membrane 110 .

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 3(c) to 3(e), the first electrode layer 104 and the second electrode layer are formed by partially etching the upper and/or lower surfaces of the third membrane 130 to form a cavity. The separation distance of (105) can be reduced.

By reducing the distance difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the third membrane 130, that is, the separation distance between the first electrode layer 104 and the second electrode layer 105, the flow rate flowing through the third membrane 130 can be increased. can

To explain in detail, when the electroosmosis effect occurs, the flow rate inside the pore hole 102 and the permeation hole 103 is proportional to the magnitude of the electric field generated by the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105. The separation distance between the first electrode layer 104 and the second electrode layer 105 is reduced by forming the third membrane 130 thin or etching the top and bottom surfaces of the third membrane 130 .

Since the magnitude of the electric field 'E _x ' is inversely proportional to the separation distance between the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105, the magnitude of the electric field generated in the pore hole 102 formed in the third membrane 130 is the first membrane ( 110) is larger than the size of the electric field of the pore hole 102 formed therein.

Therefore, according to 'Equation 2', since the size of the flow rate 'U' of the fluid is proportional to the size of the electric field 'Ex', the flow rate of the fluid flowing into the pore hole 102 of the third membrane 130 is the same as that of the first membrane. It is faster than the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the pore hole 102 of (110).

The first membrane 110, the second membrane 120, and the third membrane 130 have different pumping powers due to different characteristics.

In other words, by narrowing the separation distance between the permeation hole 103 and the electrode in the first membrane 110 in which the pore holes 102 are arranged in a regular arrangement, the second membrane 120 and the third membrane 130 The effect of increasing the pumping power can be seen.

The first electrode layer 104 is formed on the upper surface of the membrane 100, and the second electrode layer 105 is formed on the lower surface of the membrane 100.

The first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 may be formed by a sputtering coating method that is formed without blocking the pore hole 102 of the membrane 100, and the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 are made of a porous material. can be formed using In the same manner as above, by forming the first and second electrode layers 104 and 1050, the fluid can flow into the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 as well.

The first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 are one or at least one of metal materials such as platinum (Pt), tungsten (W), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), silver (Au), and copper (Cu). It may be formed of a metal mixture material containing.

First and second pads are provided on the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105, respectively. The first pad serves to connect the power supply unit and the first electrode layer 104, and the second pad serves to connect the power supply unit and the second electrode layer 105.

The power supply unit functions to apply electricity by supplying power to the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 of the membrane 100 . In other words, the power supply unit functions to apply a voltage to the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105.

In this case, the power supply unit applies different electrodes to the first electrode layer 104 and the second electrode layer 105 formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the membrane 100 . For example, when (+) electricity is applied to the first electrode layer formed on the upper surface of the membrane, (-) electricity is applied to the second electrode layer 105 formed on the lower surface of the membrane 100.

Electricity is applied to the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 in the power supply through the first and second pads provided on the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105, respectively.

When electricity is applied through the first and second pads of the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 from the power supply unit, electricity is generated inside the pore hole 102 and the permeation hole 103 of the anodic oxide film 101 of the membrane 100. An osmotic effect occurs.

Therefore, the fluid flowing into the membrane 100 generates a pumping force inside the pore hole 102 and the permeation hole 103 by the electroosmotic effect, and through this, the fluid flows.

The same number of power supply units for applying power to the first and second electrodes 104 and 105 of the plurality of membranes 100 may be provided in plurality.

In this case, it is preferable that the plurality of power supply units are connected in parallel with each other. This is because the plurality of power supply units are connected in parallel to each other, so that the voltage of the plurality of power supply units becomes the same, and through this, the first and second electrodes 104 and 105 of the plurality of membranes 100 connected to each of the plurality of power supply units This is because the same voltage can be applied.

As described above, since the same voltage is applied to the first and second electrodes 104 and 105 of the plurality of membranes 100, it is possible to more easily control the flow rate according to the characteristics of each of the plurality of membranes 100.

This is because, as described in 'Equation 2', since the magnitude of the voltage applied to the membrane 100 is proportional to the flow rate, when a constant voltage is equally applied, the flow rate changes due to the voltage, that is, one variable is reduced. because it can Therefore, by applying the same and constant voltage to a plurality of membranes 100 having different characteristics, the flow rate according to the different characteristics of the membranes 100 can be constantly adjusted.

Each membrane 100 is provided with a supply unit 140 for supplying fluid and a discharge unit 150 for discharging the fluid flowing through the membrane 100 .

The supply unit 140 has one end communicated with a storage unit in which fluid is stored, and the other end communicated with the upper portion of the membrane 100 . Therefore, the supply unit 140 functions as a passage through which the fluid stored in the storage unit flows to the top of the membrane 100 .

The discharge unit 150 functions as a passage through which one end communicates with the lower portion of the membrane 100 to discharge the fluid pumped through the membrane 100 to the outside.

As the supply unit 140 and the discharge unit 150 communicate with the upper and lower portions of the membrane 100, respectively, the membrane 100 is positioned on a path through which the fluid flows.

The first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the membrane 100 are disposed in the direction in which the fluid flows out of the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 when the electroosmosis effect occurs, that is, the discharge portion. It is preferable to give a hydrophobic treatment to the surface of the electrode layer in communication with.

As described above, when the electroosmotic effect occurs, when the fluid flows from the top to the bottom of the membrane 100, that is, from the first electrode layer 104 to the second electrode layer 105, the second electrode layer 105 It is preferable to give a hydrophobic treatment to the surface of.

As described above, as the hydrophobic treatment is performed on the surface of the second electrode layer 105, that is, the surface of the electrode layer through which fluid flows out, when the electroosmotic effect does not occur, through the permeation hole 103 or the pore hole 102 Fluid flow can be prevented. In particular, when the diameter of the permeation hole 103 is larger than a predetermined size, the fluid can flow by a force other than the pumping force due to the electroosmotic effect. In this case, the flow of fluid can be prevented through hydrophobic treatment.

In other words, when pumping force is not generated by the electroosmotic effect, unwanted fluid flow can be prevented. Therefore, when electricity is not applied from the power supply unit of the electroosmotic pump, flow from the inside of the membrane 100 toward the discharge unit can be prevented in advance.

Hereinafter, the arrangement structure and effects of the electroosmotic pump 10 according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electroosmotic pump 10 according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is provided with a plurality of membranes 100, and a supply unit 140 and a discharge unit provided in the membrane 100 ( 150 are connected in common, and a plurality of membranes 100 are disposed in parallel between the supply part 140 and the discharge part 150.

The plurality of membranes 100 are composed of a first membrane 110, a second membrane 120, and a third membrane 130, and each membrane 100 has a separate supply unit 140 and a discharge unit 150. ) is installed.

Each supply unit 140 communicates with one common supply unit 140, and each discharge unit 150 communicates with one common discharge unit 150.

In other words, one common supply unit 140 is derived as a three-pronged supply unit 140 and connected to the upper surfaces of the first membrane 110, the second membrane 120 and the third membrane 130, respectively, and the first The membrane 110, the second membrane 120, and the third membrane 130 are connected to the discharge part 150 of the three branches are connected to a common discharge part 150. At this time, the first membrane 110, the second membrane 120, and the third membrane 130 are disposed in parallel between the common supply part 140 and the common discharge part 150.

As described above, as the common supply unit 140 and the common discharge unit 150 are installed after arranging each of the membranes 100 in parallel, the flow loss due to the aging of the membrane 100 is reduced by parallel arrangement. By supplementing through the other membrane 100, the discharged flow rate can be maintained.

The fluid introduced through the common supply unit 140 can be discharged at a desired flow rate using only one membrane 100 . That is, the fluid may be discharged through one membrane 100 among the first membrane 110 , the second membrane 120 , and the third membrane 130 . At this time, when a voltage drop occurs due to the aging of the membrane 100 for discharging the fluid, a desired flow rate cannot be obtained with only one membrane 100. Therefore, the same flow rate can be maintained by supplementing the flow rate lost in one membrane 100 through the other membrane 100 by additionally driving the other membranes 100 arranged in parallel.

The electroosmotic pump 10 according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention described above may have various embodiments. Hereinafter, second to fourth preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described.

However, the configuration and effect of the membrane 100 provided in the electroosmotic pumps 10', 10", and 10"' according to the second to third preferred embodiments of the present invention, which will be described later, are the same as those of the above-described preferred embodiments of the present invention. The configuration and characteristics of the membrane 100 provided in the electroosmotic pump 10 according to the first embodiment are the same. Therefore, the same configuration and effect can be replaced with the above description, and redundant description will be omitted.

Electroosmotic pump (10') according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention

Hereinafter, an electroosmotic pump 10' according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4 .

The electroosmotic pump 10' according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention differs only in the shape of the discharge part 150, and the other components are the electroosmotic pump 10 according to the first preferred embodiment described above. ), the same components can be replaced with the above description, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

4 is a layout view of an electroosmotic pump according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, the electroosmotic pump 10' according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention is provided with a plurality of membranes 100, and only the supply unit 140 provided in the membrane 100 is common. It is connected, and a plurality of membranes 100 are disposed in parallel between the supply part 140 and the discharge part 150.

Each supply unit 140 installed in the plurality of membranes 100 communicates with the common supply unit 140, and the discharge unit 150 is installed individually.

In detail, one common supply unit 140 is derived as a three-pronged supply unit 140 and connected to the upper surfaces of the first membrane 110, the second membrane 120 and the third membrane 130, respectively, and a common The fluid introduced through the supply unit 140 is discharged through the individual discharge unit 150 . At this time, the first membrane 110, the second membrane 120 and the third membrane 130 are disposed in parallel between the common supply unit 140 and the discharge unit 150.

When the fluid is introduced into the common supply unit 140, the fluid is discharged through the individual discharge units 150 of the first membrane 110, the second membrane 120, and the third membrane 130.

As described above, the electroosmotic pump 10' according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention is discharged through the first membrane 110, the second membrane 120, and the third membrane 130 having different characteristics. It is possible to secure the diversity of flow rate or flow rate. Therefore, the fluids introduced through the common supply unit 140 are discharged through the individual discharge units 150 through the plurality of membranes 100 having different characteristics, thereby ensuring different flow rates within the same time. , effective flow distribution can be expected.

Electroosmotic pump (10") according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention

Hereinafter, an electroosmotic pump 10" according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5 .

The electroosmotic pump 10" according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention differs only in the shape of the supply unit 140, and the rest of the components are the electroosmotic pump 10 according to the first preferred embodiment described above. Since it is the same as, the same components can be replaced with the above description, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

5 is a layout view of an electroosmotic pump according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the electroosmotic pump 10" according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of membranes 100, and only the discharge unit 150 provided in the membranes 100 is common. is connected to

In addition, the plurality of membranes 100 are disposed in parallel between the supply unit 140 and the discharge unit 150.

In detail, each discharge unit 150 installed in the plurality of membranes 100 communicates with the common discharge unit 150, and the supply unit 140 is installed individually.

In other words, the three discharge parts 150 connected to the lower surfaces of the first membrane 110, the second membrane 120, and the third membrane 130 are connected to a common discharge part 150. At this time, the first membrane 110, the second membrane 120, and the third membrane 130 are provided with the supply unit 140 installed separately.

Therefore, when the fluid is introduced into the supply unit 140 of each of the first membrane 110, the second membrane 120, and the third membrane 130, the mixed fluid is discharged through one discharge unit 150. be able to secure

Electroosmotic pump (10"') according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention

Hereinafter, an electroosmotic pump 10"' according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 6 .

6 is a cross-sectional view of an electroosmotic pump according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The electroosmotic pump 10"' according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a membrane 100' in which first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 are formed on upper and lower surfaces, respectively, and fluid flows therein, and , Power supply unit for applying electricity to the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 Supply unit 140 for supplying fluid to the membrane 100', discharge unit 150 for discharging the fluid flowing through the membrane 100' Including, the membrane 100' is partitioned into a plurality of supply regions each having an individual first electrode layer 104, and a plurality of supply units 140 are provided to supply fluid to each of the plurality of supply regions.

The membrane 100' is composed of one membrane 100', and is partitioned with a plurality of characteristics.

In other words, the upper surface of the membrane 100' is divided into a plurality of supply regions having individual first electrode layers 104, and the characteristics of the membrane 100' in each supply region are configured differently.

In detail, the upper surface of the membrane 100' may be divided into a first region 141, a second region 142, and a third region 143 by the barrier rib of the supply unit 140.

The membrane 100' of the first region 151 is configured in the form of the above-described first membrane 110. That is, the membrane 100' of the first region 151 is regularly formed with pore holes 102.

The membrane 100' of the second region 152 is configured in the form of the aforementioned second membrane 120. That is, the penetration hole 103 is formed in the membrane 100' of the second region 152.

The membrane 100' of the third region 153 is configured in the form of the aforementioned third membrane 130. The upper surface of the membrane 100' in the third region 153 may be etched to reduce the separation distance between the first electrode layer 104 and the second electrode layer 105.

The first electrode layer 104 is individually formed in a plurality of supply regions. In other words, a plurality of first electrode layers 104 are formed on the upper surface of the membrane 100'.

Unlike the first electrode layer 104, the second electrode layer 105 is formed as one second electrode layer 105 on the lower surface of the membrane 100'.

The supply unit 140 communicates with the upper surface of the membrane 100' and is divided into a plurality of supply regions.

In other words, the supply unit 140 is divided into a first area 151, a second area 152, and a third area 153 by the barrier rib and connected to the upper surface of the membrane 100'.

The discharge unit 150 communicates with the lower surface of the membrane 100' and serves to discharge the fluid discharged through the membrane 100', and unlike the supply unit 140, it is composed of one area.

That is, the fluid introduced through the supply unit 140 composed of a plurality of areas is discharged through the membrane 100 to one discharge unit 150 .

As described above, as the upper surface of one membrane 100' is divided into a plurality of regions, the manufacture of the electroosmotic pump 20 is facilitated, and the fluid introduced through the supply unit 140 divided into a plurality of regions is As the fluid is discharged to one discharge unit 150 through the membrane 100' having a plurality of characteristics, it is possible to properly adjust the mixing ratio when mixing different types of fluids.

The first membrane 110, the second membrane 120, and the third membrane 130 show a difference in pumping force due to different characteristics.

It is possible to secure a large amount of flow through the second membrane 120 in which the permeation hole 103 is formed, and through the third membrane with a small difference in separation distance between the first electrode layer 104 and the second electrode layer 105, a high speed can be achieved. It is possible to secure the fluid at the flow velocity.

Therefore, by supplying different types of fluids to the supply unit 140 divided into a plurality of regions, the mixing ratio of the fluids can be easily adjusted using the characteristics of the different membranes 100'.

Unlike the above, the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105 are formed on the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, and electricity is supplied to the membrane 100' through which the fluid flows and the first and second electrode layers 104 and 105. It includes a power supply unit for applying, a supply unit 140 for supplying fluid to the membrane 100', and a discharge unit 150 for discharging the fluid flowing through the membrane 100', but the membrane 100' is individually controlled. It is partitioned into a plurality of discharge areas having the second electrode layer 105, and a plurality of discharge units 150 may be provided to discharge fluid from each of the plurality of discharge areas.

In other words, the lower surface of the membrane 100' is partitioned into a plurality of discharge regions having individual second electrode layers 105, and the characteristics of the membrane 100' in each discharge region are configured differently.

The supply unit 140 is formed with one first electrode layer 104 on the upper surface of the membrane 100', and the discharge unit 150 is formed with a plurality of regions on the lower surface of the membrane 100', respectively. It has an individual second electrode layer 105 in the region of .

Therefore, the fluid supplied through one supply unit 140 is discharged to a plurality of areas by the membrane 100 having different characteristics.

Meanwhile, the membranes 100 and 100' have been described as the first, second and third membranes 110, 120 and 130, but may be composed of two or more.

As described above, although it has been described with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art can variously modify the present invention within the scope not departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the claims below. Or it can be carried out by modifying.

10, 10', 10", 10"': electroosmotic pump
100: membrane 101: anodic oxide film
102: pore hole 103: permeation hole
104: first electrode layer 105: second electrode layer
110: first membrane 120: second membrane
130: third membrane
140: supply unit 141: first area
142: second area 143: third area
150: discharge unit

Claims (7)

a membrane having first and second electrode layers formed on upper and lower surfaces, respectively, and fluid flowing therein;
a power supply unit for applying electricity to the first and second electrode layers;
a supply unit supplying fluid to the membrane; and
Including; a discharge portion through which the fluid flowing through the membrane is discharged,
The membrane is provided in plurality, and at least one of the supply unit and the discharge unit connects the plurality of membranes in common,
The plurality of membranes are disposed in parallel between the supply part and the discharge part,
The same voltage is applied to the first and second electrode layers of each of the plurality of membranes arranged in parallel by the power supply unit,
At least two of the plurality of membranes are configured to have different characteristics, so that even when the same voltage is applied to the first and second electrode layers of each of the two membranes, the two membranes have different pumping powers ,
The supply unit is located above the first electrode layer, and the discharge unit is located below the second electrode layer, so that the fluid flows from the first electrode layer to the second electrode layer,
An electroosmotic pump, characterized in that a hydrophobic treatment is performed on the surface of the second electrode layer. According to claim 1,
the membrane,
An electroosmotic pump, characterized in that it is anodized aluminum oxide formed by anodic oxidation of a metal. According to claim 1,
The electroosmotic pump, wherein at least any two of the plurality of membranes are configured to have different pore areas and thus have different characteristics. According to claim 3,
An electroosmotic pump, characterized in that a pore hole and a permeation hole having a larger pore area than the pore hole are formed in any one of the two membranes. According to claim 1,
The electroosmotic pump according to claim 1 , wherein at least any two membranes among the plurality of membranes are configured to have different distances between electrodes and thus have different characteristics. a membrane having first and second electrode layers formed on upper and lower surfaces, respectively, and fluid flowing therein;
a power supply unit for applying electricity to the first and second electrode layers;
a supply unit supplying fluid to the membrane;
Including; a discharge portion through which the fluid flowing through the membrane is discharged,
The first electrode layer is formed in plurality on the upper surface of the membrane,
The membrane is partitioned into a plurality of supply regions for each of the plurality of first electrode layers,
The membrane is configured to have different characteristics for each of the plurality of supply regions, so that even when the same voltage is applied to the plurality of supply regions, the membrane has different pumping power for each of the plurality of supply regions;
The supply unit is provided in plurality to supply fluid to each of the plurality of supply regions,
The supply unit is located above the first electrode layer, and the discharge unit is located below the second electrode layer, so that the fluid flows from the first electrode layer to the second electrode layer,
An electroosmotic pump, characterized in that a hydrophobic treatment is performed on the surface of the second electrode layer. a membrane having first and second electrode layers formed on upper and lower surfaces, respectively, and fluid flowing therein;
a power supply unit for applying electricity to the first and second electrode layers;
a supply unit supplying fluid to the membrane;
Including; a discharge portion through which the fluid flowing through the membrane is discharged,
The second electrode layer is formed in plurality on the lower surface of the membrane,
The membrane is partitioned into a plurality of discharge regions for each of the plurality of second electrode layers,
The membrane is configured to have different characteristics for each of the plurality of discharge regions, so that even when the same voltage is applied to the plurality of discharge regions, the membrane has a different pumping force for each of the plurality of discharge regions;
The discharge unit is provided in plurality to discharge the fluid of each of the plurality of discharge areas,
The supply unit is located above the first electrode layer, and the discharge unit is located below the second electrode layer, so that the fluid flows from the first electrode layer to the second electrode layer,
An electroosmotic pump, characterized in that a hydrophobic treatment is performed on the surface of the second electrode layer.

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