Flow through an Electromechanical Tube Driven by a Voltage

Abstract

We study the axial flow of a nonviscous and incompressible fluid in a circular tube made from an electromechanical material. The tube is driven into radial motion by an electric voltage across its thickness. A theoretical analysis is performed. An analytical solution is obtained from the relevant equations of fluid mechanics and piezoelectric shells. The solution shows that when the tube is contracting or expanding radially under a properly designed voltage, the fluid can flow along the tube axially. Hence the tube can function as a pump for driving the fluid. The effects of various physical parameters on the velocity profile of the flow are examined.