Experimental study of important parameters for the operation of a continuous-flow fluidic pump

Fluidic pumps are being developed for situations in which high reliability and low tolerances require that packing glands or mechanical seals be eliminated, and moving parts be minimized. Pulsatile fluidic pumps have been under development for some time for long-term, maintenance-free applications involving the intermittent transfer of toxic, radioactive, or corrosive liquids. Models for these pumps have been developed to the point that they can be used to design pumps for specific applications and to compare their performance with that of alternative pumping systems. This paper presents experimental results from investigations concerning the contribution of various parameters to the operation of a continuous-flow fluidic pump. The results are basically of two types: (a) the steady-state response of the system to various operational parameters, and (b) the non-steady-state response of the system to various input parameters. This paper also provides qualitative information on these parameters, so that the pumping system may be more readily compared to the other alternatives.