This research is to investigate the flow characteristics of micropump with two different types of diffuser outlet in micropump (straight and round). Four different outlet diameters(1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm at straight type of diffuser outlet and single outlet diameter(1mm) at round type are utilized for the flow analysis of the diffuser in micropump. Velocity and pressure distributions of fluid over the flow domain are numerically calculated for the shape optimum design of diffuser in micropump with uniform inlet velocity and pressure. According to the calculations of local maximum pressure at diffuser outlet, straight type of diffuser with larger diameter of diffuser outlet is of highest flow energy performance of the flow channel shapes in the present micropump.

The mechanism of micro-bubble generation with a pump is not clarified yet, so the design of water treatment systems with a micro-bubble generating pump is based on trial and error methods. This study tried to explain clearly quantitative relationships of experimental micro-bubble concentration (Cair) of continuous operation tests with a micro-bubble generating pump and theoretical air solubility. Operation parameters for the tests were discharge pressure (Pg), water (Qw0) and air (q0) flow rates, orifice diameter (DO), and retention time (t). The experimental micro-bubble concentrations (Cair) at 4.8 atm of discharge pressure (Pg) were in the range of 21.04 to 25.29 mL/L. When the retention time (t) by changing the pipe line length (LP) increased from 1.22 to 6.77s, the experimental micro-bubble concentrations (Cair) increased from 25.86 to 30.78 mL air/L water linearly. The dissolved and dispersed micro-bubble concentrations (Cair) are approximately 4 times more than the theoretical air solubility.

The goal of this study was to evaluate micro-bubble concentration (Cair) in water by air/water ratio (A/W ratio) with a micro-bubble generating pump. The estimation of micro-bubble concentration is based on the balance of inlet/outlet air and water flow rate. On net A/W ratio to be generated micro-bubble, we found that the obtained the Cair are shown as a function of discharge pressure (Pg) of the micro-bubble generating pump. The correlation of the Cair and the Pg(Cair =3.261Pg-1.754) was adequately described by the least square methods with a high correlation coefficient (r = 0.9459) and calculated values fit the experimental data quite well. The Cair was lower than theoretical dissolved air concentration (Caq) calculated by Henry’s law. The Cair for being operated the micro-bubble generating pump was 6.75 – 39.53 mL/L, however, we found that the optimum of the Cair to generate micro-bubble was the range from 10 to 12 mL/L.