Analysis and testing of a fluidic vortex microdiode

A new design of fluidic microdiode is proposed. An initial numerical simulation of this so-called vortex microdiode allows us to understand the working principle of the diode. It is shown that the complex relationship between the inertial and viscous effects may lead to paradoxical results: as an example, an increase in the viscosity can involve an increase in the flow rate. The simulated performances, confirmed by experimental measurements with a microdiode etched by deep reactive ion etching on a silicon wafer, are compared to the performances of other microdiodes described in the literature. The efficiency of the vortex microdiode is found to be comparable to that of the Tesla microdiode, which was the most efficient microdiode. This is very encouraging, all the more so since the optimization perspectives are varied, due to a sophisticated design.