Modified BVD model of PZT actuator using high-voltage square pulse method for micropumps

The field of micro–electro–mechanical systems and microfabrication has produced micro-total-analysis systems, which are widely used in medicine, diagnostics, and biological and chemical research. For the development of high precision drug delivery systems, micropumps with a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) actuator, which has a fast response time and high resolution, are most likely to be applied in implementations. To improve the performance of PZT micropumps utilized in the microfluidics field, suitable models are required to enable the optimization of the PZT actuator driving circuits. This study proposes a modified Butterworth–Van Dyke (BVD) model which consists of a BVD model in series with an electrical resistance that describes a PZT actuator driven by a square pulse with a relatively high voltage and low frequency for micropump applications. Experiments were conducted to assess parameters of the model at various voltages; they indicate that the electrical resistance is essential for modeling the PZT actuator of the micropump. The electrical model was verified using a SPICE simulation, whose numerical results were compared with the experimental data for the current response of the PZT actuator. The results show a close correlation between the simulation of the electrical model and the measurements of the PZT actuator under real operating conditions.