FLUIDICS: THE ANSWER TO PROBLEMS OF HANDLING HAZARDOUS FLUIDS – A SURVEY

Dangerous fl uids must be kept inside a containment. With standard pumps and fl ow control valves this may be a problem, especially in emergency situations which may be caused by material fatigue, seizing, screws getting loose, and similar situations requiring maintenance and repair. However well protected in standard regimes, during a repair and associated device disassembly the hazardous fl uid may become exposed to the outside world. No-moving-part fl uidics, practically maintenance-free, offers a solution – but it is, unfortunately, almost unknown. This survey aims at propagating the knowledge of these fl uid-handling devices. Three classes of fl uidic devices that are developed (mainly in nuclear engineering applications) specifi cally for handling dangerous liquids and gases are discussed: (A) Passive fl ow control valves, (B) Valves controlled by an external signal, and (C) Fluidic pumps driven by alternating fl ow