The present contribution reports on comprehensive hydrodynamic investigations in two pulsed sieve-plate extraction columns (PSE) on a pilot scale. The experiments were conducted with three different sieve plate geometries employing test systems recommended by EFCE, under varying pulsation conditions and throughputs. The results of the investigation add to the existing knowledge of relationships between hydrodynamic parameters, drop size, hold-up, flooding throughput and mixing and operating parameters. They also provide useful information for scaleup, selection of sieve-plate geometry, most favourable operating range, and constructive design of equipment. On the basis of measurements, analytical methods are recommended for prediction of PSE hydrodynamics.
Options for mechanical circulatory support for the treatment of end-stage heart failure in children are limited. Ventricular assist devices (VADs), which have revolutionized cardiac care in adults, remain largely unavailable for pediatric applications. The PediPump is a new rotary dynamic VAD designed to provide support for the entire range of patient sizes encountered in pediatrics. Despite being much smaller than currently available VADs, which makes it suitable for even newborn circulatory support, the PediPump demonstrates excellent hemodynamic performance.
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation CPB/ECMO Initiative Forward Casualty Management System is an economical, compact, transportable, disposable system designed to permit a rapid expansion of trauma management services requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) pulmonary support. The system, composed of a rotary blood pump, a pump motor driver, and an electronic control console as the blood pumping subsystem, also includes commonly used compatible commercial oxygenators, venous reservoirs, and cannulae. In vitro durability testing accumulated over 100 hours without failure. In vivo reliability was tested in 10 calves under general anesthesia during 6 hours of CPB and ECMO under full heparinization at nominal operating conditions of 4-5 l/min and 2-4 l/min blood flow respectively, and mean arterial pressures between 65 and 100 mm Hg. A mean time to failure of 57 hours was reached during the animal series. Results of these test series demonstrated that this system has the capability to reliably operate during a 6-hour conventional CPB or ECMO procedure, while providing flexibility and ease of use for the operator.
Despite extensive theoretical knowledge of fluid dynamics, the design process for rotodynamic pumps still relies heavily on experimental data. One common technique is to model the design of a new pump based on the design of existing pumps, using the laws of similarity. Another, similar approach frequently used for atypically large or small pumps is to scale a final product design from conveniently sized laboratory prototypes that have been refined to the desired performance in extensive experiments. Both approaches to pump design are usually considered highly reliable. However, for blood pumps, this approach has been questioned. Due to the extremely small size of these pumps and the relatively low Reynolds Numbers, extraneous effects may overwhelm the assumptions made for similarity calculations that are satisfactory for significantly larger models. Three geometrically similar pumps with related scaling factors of 1, 3.2, and 6.4 were tested for the same range of nondimensional flow and pressure. The quality of similitude was determined by comparing the nondimensionalized pump data of the three pumps. It was found that the effects of large linear dimension scaling factors had only a small influence on the quality of similitude (maximum 5.8% error), whereas Reynolds Number effects, especially at high pump flows, had a strong impact on the quality of similitude (maximum 45.4% error). Because Reynolds Number similarity cannot always be achieved simultaneously with geometric similarity, a correction factor for Reynolds Number related departure from similarity was developed. It is based on the Reynolds Number, the Flow Coefficient, the specific speed, and the pump's relative surface roughness. Use of this correction factor reduces the error due to Reynolds Number effects to a maximum of 7.5%. We conclude that the use of scaling techniques in rotodynamic blood pump design is a valid approach, if Reynolds Number similarity is maintained or suitable correction factors are used.
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