Presentazioni e Articoli Tecnici

Metal reed valves are used for flow rectification in electrohydraulic pumps driven by smart materials at high frequencies but it is difficult to predict their behavior when the surrounding fluid has considerable inertia and viscosity. Simulation of this phenomenon involves modeling the fluid-structure-interaction between the bending of the reed and the flow past the valve. In this model, we use the Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) interface in COMSOL Multiphysics® software to calculate the static and dynamic deformations of a reed valve due to applied pressure gradients on the fluid medium. The results show that a thinner reed valve will incur lower pressure drop but might not be able to close completely in dynamic operation, thus allowing fluid losses due to flow reversal.