Nephrology considerations in the management of durable and temporary mechanical circulatory support

Durable and temporary mechanical circulatory support (MCS) use is growing for a range of cardiovascular indications. Kidney dysfunction is common in persons evaluated for or receiving durable or temporary MCS, and portends worse outcomes. This kidney dysfunction can be due to pre-existing kidney chronic kidney disease (CKD), acute kidney injury (AKI) related to acute cardiovascular disease necessitating MCS, AKI due to cardiac procedures, and due to acute and chronic MCS effects and complications. Durable MCS, with implantable continuous flow pumps, is used for long-term support in advanced HF refractory to guideline directed medical and device therapy, either permanently or as a bridge to heart transplantation. Temporary MCS-encompassing in this review intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABPs), axial flow pumps, centrifugal flow pumps, and venoarterial ECMO-is used for diverse situations: high risk percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), acute decompensated heart failure (HF), cardiogenic shock, and resuscitation following cardiac arrest. The wide adoption of MCS makes it imperative to improve understanding of the effects of MCS on kidney health/function, and of kidney health/function on MCS outcomes. The complex structure and functions of the kidney, and the complex health states of individuals receiving MCS, makes investigations in this area challenging, and current knowledge is limited. Fortunately, the increasing nephrology toolbox of non-invasive kidney health/function assessments may enable development and testing of individualized management strategies and therapeutics in the future. We review technology, epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical considerations, and future directions in MCS and nephrology.

The Leading-Edge Structure Based on Geometric Bionics Affects the Transient Cavitating Flow and Vortex Evolution of Hydrofoils

A hydrofoil is a fundamental structure in fluid machinery, and it is widely applied to the fields of propellers, blades of axial flow pumps and underwater machinery. To reveal that the geometric structure of the leading-edge of a hydrofoil is the mechanism that affects the transient cavitating flow, we regard the three fish-type leading-edge structures of mackerel, sturgeon and small yellow croaker as the research objects and use high-precision non-contact 3D scanners to establish three bionic hydrofoils (Mac./Stu./Cro.). We use large eddy simulation to simulate the transient cavitating flow of hydrofoils numerically and compare and analyze their lift–drag characteristics, the transient behavior of unsteady cavitation and the vortex evolution. The numerical simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental results. The warping of leading-edge structure will cause a change in lift–drag characteristics, and the Cro. hydrofoil has a good lift-to-drag ratio. When the leading-edge structure is tilted upward (Cro. hydrofoil), the position of the attached cavity will move forward, which will accelerate the cavitation evolution and improve the velocity fluctuation of the trailing edge. When the leading-edge structure is tilted downward (Stu. hydrofoil), the change in the vortex stretching and dilatation terms will be complex, and the influence area of the vortex will widen.

OVERVIEW OF THE BEST 2020 AXIAL-FLOW FAN DATA AND INCLUSION IN SIMILARITY CHARTS FOR THE SEARCH OF THE BEST DESIGN

The paper deals with the aerodynamic performance of ducted axial-flow fans available in the 2020 market and aims to create a general picture of the best designs and design trends, as a tool for fan designers. To this end, the paper first presents the general formulation of the similarity approach to the fan performance analysis, including the effects of rotational speed (which affects the validity of the Reynolds similarity) and turbomachine size (which can hinder the perfect geometrical similarity of some shape details). The second part reports a statistical survey of the axial-flow fan performance based on data from catalogues of major manufacturers, and compares the resulting Cordier-lines with optimum fan designs from empirical or CFD-based models available in the literature. In addition to the global performance at maximum aeraulic and total-to-static efficiencies, this survey uses the form of dimensionless Balje-Cordier charts to identify the trends and values of other design parameters, such as hub-to-tip ratio, blade count, and blade positioning angle. As a result, a summary of the aerodynamic performance of year 2020 best designs, the improvements achieved during the last forty years, and the present design trends in contra-rotating, vane-axial, and tube-axial fan types are made available to fan designers.

Research on the Influence of Tip Clearance of Axial-Flow Pump on Energy Characteristics under Pump and Turbine Conditions

In order to study the influence of tip clearance on the performance and energy dissipation of the axial-flow pump and the axial-flow pump as a turbine, and find the location of high dissipation rate, this study took an axial-flow pump model as its research object and designed four tip radial clearance schemes (0, 0.2, 1 and 2 mm). The unsteady calculation simulation of each tip clearance scheme was carried out based on CFD technology. The calculated results were compared with the experimental results, and the simulation results were analyzed using entropy production analysis theory. The results showed that, under both an axial-flow pump and axial-flow pump as turbine operating conditions, increasing the blade tip clearance led to a decrease in hydraulic performance. Compared with the 0 mm clearance, the maximum decreases in pump efficiency, head and shaft power under 2 mm tip clearance were 15.3%, 25.7% and 12.3% under the pump condition, and 12.7%, 18.5% and 28.8% under the turbine condition, respectively. Under the axial-flow pump operating condition, the change in blade tip clearance had a great influence on the total dissipation of the impeller, guide vane and outlet passage, and the maximum variation under the flow rate of 1.0 was 53.9%, 32.1% and 54.2%, respectively. Under the axial-flow pump as a turbine operating condition, the change in blade tip clearance had a great influence on the total dissipation of the impeller and outlet passage, the maximum variation under the flow rate of 1.0 was 22.7% and 17.4%, respectively. Under the design flow rate condition, with the increase in tip clearance, the dissipation rate of the blade surface showed an increasing trend under both the axial-flow pump and axial-flow pump as turbine operating conditions, and areas of high dissipation rate were generated at the rim and clearance.

Influence of circumferential annular grooving design of impeller on suspended fluid force of axial flow blood pump

Aiming at insufficient suspension force on the impeller when the hydraulic suspension axial flow blood pump is start at low speed, the impeller suspension stability is poor, and can’t quickly enter the suspended working state. By establishing the mathematical model of the suspension force on the impeller, then the influence of the circumferential groove depth of the impeller on the suspension force is analyzed, and the annular groove depth on the impeller blade in the direction of fluid inlet and outlet was determined as (0.26, 0.02 mm). When the blood pump starts, there is an eccentricity between the impeller and the pump tube, the relationship between the suspension force and the speed of the impeller under different eccentricities is analyzed. Combined with the prototype experiment, the circumferential annular grooving design of the impeller can make the blood pump rotate at about 3500 rpm into the suspension state, when the impeller is at 8000 rpm, the impeller can basically achieve stable suspension at the eccentricity of 0.1 mm in the gravity direction, indicating that the reasonable circumferential annular grooving design of the impeller can effectively improve the suspension hydraulic force of the impeller and improve the stability of the hydraulic suspension axial flow blood pump.

Preliminary Design Guidelines for Considering the Vibration and Noise of Low-Speed Axial Fans Due to Profile Vortex Shedding

This paper presents a critical overview on worst-case design scenarios for which low-speed axial flow fans may exhibit an increased risk of blade resonance due to profile vortex shedding. To set up a design example, a circular-arc-cambered plate of 8% relative curvature is investigated in twofold approaches of blade mechanics and aerodynamics. For these purposes, the frequency of the first bending mode of a plate of arbitrary circular camber is expressed by modeling the fan blade as a cantilever beam. Furthermore, an iterative blade design method is developed for checking the risky scenarios for which spanwise and spatially coherent shed vortices, stimulating pronounced vibration and noise, may occur. Coupling these two approaches, cases for vortex-induced blade resonance are set up. Opposing this basis, design guidelines are elaborated upon for avoiding such resonance. Based on the approach presented herein, guidelines are also developed for moderating the annoyance due to the vortex shedding noise.