An Innovative EHD Conduction Pumping Design for Swirl Flow Generation

Electrohydrodynamics (EHD) offers a variety of methods for enhancing heat transfer, including dielectric fluid pumping and vapor extraction. EHD is characterized by the interaction between fluid flows and electric fields. One such method of pumping is EHD conduction pumping, which takes advantage of the accumulation of heterocharge layers near the electrodes to create a coulomb force which drives the liquid. Existing EHD conduction pump designs have utilized a perforated electrode, a single channel with multiple electrode pairs, or various in-plane designs. A new EHD conduction pump design with helical electrodes inside a circular tube is proposed. A 3D numerical model of the design is developed and used to explore the performance of the pump. Results for static pressure generation, flow generation, and resultant rotational flow are presented. This design is of particular interest, for its potential enhancement of heat and mass transfer and for applications of mixing. It also has potential benefits for manufacturability due to continuous wrapped electrodes rather than multiple electrode pairs.