Magnetically Actuated Microvalve for Active Flow Control

The reattachment of separated air flows can be actively controlled by blowing oscillatory air jets in the boundary layer, through submillimetric holes situated near the separation edge. To achieve such pulsed jets, a high flow rate, high actuation frequency microvalve was designed, fabricated and characterized. The microvalve is fed by a pressurized source of air, and its inner channel is alternatively pinched by a PDMS polymer membrane, modulating the air flow which is addressed towards the separated surface. Magnetostatic actuation was chosen for its high stress, high displacement, and remote actuation capabilities. The actuation consists in coupling an inductive driving coil and a NdFeB permanent magnet situated on the PDMS flexible membrane. Characterization of the resonance frequency, and vibration amplitude are achieved by interferometric means. The output flow is characterized using strioscopy visualization and hot wire anemometry methods. The design and fabrication process of the microsystem, and the results of these characterizations are presented in this paper.