APPLICATIONS OF CFD TECHNIQUE IN THE DESIGN AND FLOW ANALYSIS OF IMPLANTABLE AXIAL FLOW BLOOD PUMP

Based on established numerical methods and hydrodynamic performance testing facilities, CFD technique are applied to improve the design of the implantable axial flow blood pump and the flow analysis. (1) Applying brushless machine magnet steel, reducing its thickness while increasing the length, the flow channel's cross-section is increased, with no space connection between the large and the small rotators, and with a cone transition segment from the bearing to the principal axis, the flow is made smoother. The rotating speed is lowered by 1000 rpm - 1200 rpm under the same flow rate and pressure head, and thus the hemolysis can be avoided. (2) Different outlet stator guiding vanes are selected for the same blood pump for analyses of hydrodynamic performances and flow fields. An excellent design not only can regulate the rotating flow field into an axial one, reduce the circulation loss and improve the pump efficiency, but also can avoid backflow, vortex and secondary flow at the pump outlet, and thus the thrombus can be prevented. (3) The calf live tests show that some residual clots exist at the inner wall of the outlet connection bends, which are analyzed and explained by CFD techniques and the corresponding improvements are proposed. All results are verified by hydrodynamic performance tests and PIV flow field tests, and consistent conclusions are obtained.