Numerical investigation and experiment of a single-valve dual-port piezoelectric pump inspired by cuttlefish jet propulsion

This work presents a novel single-valve dual-port piezoelectric pump based on the cuttlefish jet propulsion mechanism, aiming to provide an efficient and stable fluid drive solution. The pump combines the cuttlefish jet propulsion principle with an integrated flexible valve design, achieving high airtightness and excellent fluid control capabilities. Experimental results indicate that the pump, driven by 250 Vp-p, reaches a maximum output pressure of 10.22 kPa and a flow rate of 6.82 ml/min, exhibiting remarkable pumping capability. The pump demonstrates good frequency adaptability across various frequencies, with an outstanding output performance, especially in the low-frequency range of 40–60 Hz. Furthermore, the pump effectively pumps different fluids, including water, milk, and oil, demonstrating excellent adaptability to high-viscosity fluids. Tests on the dual-inlet mixing system show that this design achieves stable fluid mixing with a processing speed of 2.16 ml/min. Pneumatic actuator tests validate the pump's potential as a miniaturized power source for pneumatic control systems, with a maximum output pressure of 12.63 kPa and good linearity when driving the actuator.