Alice White

Modelling and Control of Stainless-steel Syringe Liquid Delivery

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project involves the fluid dynamics of syringe-based liquid delivery. One method to deliver accurate volumes of a fluid at a precise flow rate is to use a syringe pump. Here, a syringe is clamped while a linear motor moves the plunger. Given the velocity and radius of the plunger, and the duration of movement, the flow rate and volume dispensed can be calculated. However, the presence of even a small volume of air in the syringe can lead to deviations from the expected flow rates and dispensed volumes. For applications that require precise flow rates—e.g., calculating biologically damaging shearing forces within needles—these deviations can introduce significant errors. This project seeks to systematically measure the true flow rate of fluid dispensed from a stainless-steel syringe.

LABORATORY MENTOR
Oliver McRae 

RESEARCH GOALS
– Experimentally measure the instantaneous flow rate of liquid dispensed from a stainless-steel syringe for varying nominal flow rates, liquid viscosities, needle radii and lengths.
– Calculate the volume of air inside of the syringe required to produce the differences between the nominal and actual liquid flow rates measured above.
– Determine if the gas volume of air inside of the syringe can be controlled, keeping in mind difficulties with direct visualization due to the use of stainless-steel syringes.

LEARNING GOALS
– Learn how to create glycerol-water mixtures of pre-determined viscosity, and how to measure said viscosity using a vibrational viscometer.
– Learn how to load and operate a syringe pump with said mixtures.
– Learn how to capture and programmatically analyze video data to determine liquid flow rates.
– Learn and apply fluid mechanics concepts to determine gas volume within the syringe.
– Learn effective methods of scientific communication.

Learn more about Professor White on her faculty page.