  The unique working mechanics of roller-type peristaltic pumps have allowed
their applications to span a wide variety of sectors and industries. The
roller-type pump's accurate dosing and hydrostatic capabilities can
theoretically allow for the pump to be used for hydraulic actuation (as an
electro-hydrostatic actuator) for low pressure applications. This however
requires accurate control of the peristaltic pump and its flow rate. The
associated pressure pulsations will also have an impact on the pump's selection
criteria. Accurate control of roller-type peristaltic pumps commonly rely on
flow-meters, which increases the cost of the pump and can complicate control
strategies. Current modelling approaches either do not rely on first principle
modelling and require expensive simulation software, or do not apply for larger
Reynolds numbers at larger flow rates. The most applicable model focusses on
the flow rate for each roller individually. This implies that the model
requires alterations in order to accommodate pumps with varying numbers of
rollers. This paper presents an alternative modelling methodology towards the
volume flow rate, pulsatile flow rate qualities, and pressure pulsations
commonly found on peristaltic pumps. The model instead focusses on the flow
rate at the inlet and the outlet of the pump, rather than on each individual
roller. This model is highly scalable and allows for varying number of rollers.
The model is validated using a 3D printed peristaltic pump and pulsatile flow
rate test bench. The pump is capable of accommodating roller housings with
varying numbers of rollers (3 or 2) in order to validate the model.
