Acoustic Structural Coupling In A Silicon Based Vibrating Mesh Nebulizer

We present results from a vibrating mesh nebulizer for which the mesh is a micro-machined silicon membrane perforated with up to a thousand micron-sized, pyramidal holes. Finite element modelling is used to better understand the measured results of the nebulizer when tested in the dry state as well as when loaded with a liquid. In particular, we found that the frequency response of the system is well represented by the superposition of the frequency response of its two main subcomponents: the piezo driving unit and the silicon membrane. As such, the system is found to have resonance peaks for which the complete assembly flexes in addition to peaks that correspond to the flexural resonance modes of the silicon membrane on its own. Similarly, finite element modelling was used to understand differences observed between the frequency response measured on the nebulizer in the dry condition compared to its wet or liquid loaded operation. It was found that coupling between the structural and the acoustic domains shifts the resonance peaks significantly to the left of the frequency plot. In fact, it was found that at the operating frequency of the nebulizer, the system resonates in a (0,3) when the membrane is loaded with a liquid compared with a (0,2) resonance mode when it is operating in the dry state.