Patent ID: 6109888
Filing Date: 2000-08-29
Classification: F04B

Abstract:
Pump apparatus, comprising:a main body section having an inlet end and an outlet end;a flexible membrane operatively associated with said main body section which divides said main body section into a first cavity and a second cavity, the first cavity being in fluid communication with the inlet end and the outlet end of said main body section, the second cavity not being in fluid communication with the first cavity, the second cavity containing an electrically conductive fluid;a magnetic field generator operatively associated with said main body section for producing a magnetic field having a plurality of flux lines, at least some of which are contained within the second cavity and are oriented generally parallel to a flow direction in which a material flows from the inlet end to the outlet end of said main body section;a plurality of electrodes contained within the second cavity of said main body section; anda control system for selectively placing a voltage potential across selected ones of said plurality of electrodes.