Provided are an electroosmotic pump, including: a membrane; a first electrode which is provided on one surface of the membrane, including a porous support including an insulator and an electrochemical reaction material formed on the porous support; and a second electrode which is provided on the other surface of the membrane, including a porous support including an insulator and an electrochemical reaction material formed on the porous support, and a fluid-pumping system including the electroosmotic pump.

A microfluidic device includes a support and a non-contact charge depositing unit to selectively emit airborne charges of a selectable polarity. The support is to releasably support a consumable microfluidic receptacle in spaced relation to the charge depositing unit to receive the airborne charges on a portion of the consumable microfluidic receptacle to cause an electric field within the consumable microfluidic receptacle to control electrowetting movement of a liquid droplet within the consumable microfluidic receptacle.

An apparatus for controlling a cylinder by a microfluidic stream includes a microtube, a first laser-driven photoacoustic microfluid pump (LDMP), and a fiber optic element. The microtube includes a fluid and a cylinder. The fiber optic element includes a first end and a second end. The first end is disposed on the first LDMP and the second end is disposed in a first end portion of the microtube. The first LDMP is configured to generate a directional fluidic jet from the fluid and to push the cylinder in a direction away from the second end of the fiber optic element.

The present disclosure is drawn to inertial pumps. An inertial pump can include a microfluidic channel, a fluid actuator located in the microfluidic channel, and a check valve located in the microfluidic channel. The check valve can include a moveable valve element, a narrowed channel segment located upstream of the moveable valve element, and a blocking element formed in the microfluidic channel downstream of the moveable valve element. The narrowed channel segment can have a width less than a width of the moveable valve element so that the moveable valve element can block fluid flow through the check valve when the moveable valve element is positioned in the narrowed channel segment. The blocking element can be configured such that the blocking element constrains the moveable valve element within the check valve while also allowing fluid flow when the moveable valve element is positioned against the blocking element.

A functional ink that includes a precursor sol-gel solution and a solvent is provided. The precursor sol-gel solution is used for forming an oxide dielectric film having a perovskite structure represented by a general formula ABO.sub.3, and has been subjected to a partial hydrolysis process in which a viscosity change resulting from the partial hydrolysis process is controlled to be less than or equal to 50%, and water contained in the precursor sol-gel solution is controlled to be greater than or equal to 0.50 times and less than or equal to 10 times by molar ratio with respect to a B site atom contained in the precursor sol-gel solution. The functional ink has a metal oxide concentration and a viscosity that renders the functional ink suitable for being discharged from a nozzle of a liquid droplet discharge apparatus included in a thin film fabrication apparatus.

A micropump assembly is comprised of modular stacked pump stages. The modular pump stages are preferably stacked vertically on top of each other. The stacked design allows each pumping chamber to be compressed by two pumping membranes and thereby provide twice the compression as compared to conventional planar pump designs. The stacked design also eliminates the need for bidirectional movement of the pumping membrane. Lastly, the number of stacked pumping stages can be changed post-fabrication to achieve the required pressure for a given application.

Nano filtering and pumping systems and methods of use thereof for nanoscale gaseous materials by utilizing materials having nanosized perforations through the materials. The perforations generally have an inner diameter similar to that of nanotubes, and in some embodiments, carbon nanotubes are disposed within the perforations. Such materials can partially organize molecules in random motion to move either some selectively or all of them, to create pressure differences and hence motive forces, or cause air flow into pressurized area. Because air is a cloud of particles separated by vacuum, the systems and method in air can be used to create motive force pushing any form of vehicle, lifting force for any form of air vehicle, air compression, power source for any form of machine, conveyor or generator, using the solar energy stored in the air in the form of heat, 24 hours a day, worldwide.

Today vaporizing humidifier must achieve their desired function and operate with conflicting requirements such as cost of ownership (CoO) and regulatory guidelines. Low CoO requires high injection efficiency, low water consumption, and high energy efficiency to reduce energy consumption and running costs. All of this is sought with variable humidification and low exhaust gas temperatures from safety/regulatory viewpoints as well as ducting material selection and venting of the exhaust gases and high efficiency. To date vaporizing humidifiers have been partially successful utilizing a single stage heat exchanger that could not extract latent energy from exhaust gases because the secondary fluid is boiling water. High exhaust temperature requires high temperature stainless steel exhaust venting. Embodiments of the invention provide dual-stage humidification systems with an effective design for achieving the conflicting objectives under variable humidification operation as well as addressing the control loop design of such dual-stage humidification systems.

An Electro Hydro Dynamic, EHD, thruster (105) comprising a first set of electrodes (210), a second set of electrodes (220) and a supporting structure (103) for supporting the first set of electrodes (210) and the second set of electrodes (220). The EHD thruster (105) is configured to generate airflow of ionized air for cooling a heat sink (101). Further, the EHD thruster (105) is electrically isolated from the heat sink (101).

A motor-driven fluid pump has a positive displacement rotary pumping element with an offset circular cam carried outwardly of the element, the cam being rotated with the pumping element by contact with pistons carried radially by the pumping element. Ends of the pistons are spherical and bear directly on the cam's inner surface. During breaking in of each pump, the piston ends wear a single concave groove in the inner surface of the cam, which helps to stabilize the pistons. The pump maintains a constant mass flow rate for a given input command by adjusting for fluid type, measured fluid operating temperature, and changing motor speed. The pump also maintains a constant flow output for its life by adjusting for internal wear; it also predicts its remaining life by comparing its current motor speed for a given flow against the maximum allowable motor speed.