Experimental study of thermally-driven micro-pump using stepped laser

The stepped pulse-laser is used to heat the fluid in a micro-tube with the diameter less than 1 mm, and a phase change and a directional flow of the fluid are induced. Based on many experimental observations, the mechanism of thermally-driven MEMS is studied and the technical approaches of the efficient and steady thermally-driven flow is given. The experimental results show that the hypostasis of the thermally-driven micro-pump is a kind of erratic liquid-vapor two-phase flow, and the liquid movement and the change rate of the pressure is closely related to the bubbles' behavior in the micro-tube.