Interplay between particulate fouling and its flow disturbance: Numerical and experimental studies

It is widely accepted that alterations in vascular shear stress trigger the expression of inflammatory genes in endothelial cells and thereby induce atherosclerosis (reviewed in 1 and 2). The role of shear stress has been extensively studied in vitro investigating the influence of flow dynamics on cultured endothelial cells 1,3,4 and in vivo in larger animals and humans 1,5,6,7,8. However, highly reproducible small animal models allowing systematic investigation of the influence of shear stress on plaque development are rare. Recently, Nam et al. 9 introduced a mouse model in which the ligation of branches of the carotid artery creates a region of low and oscillatory flow. Although this model causes endothelial dysfunction and rapid formation of atherosclerotic lesions in hyperlipidemic mice, it cannot be excluded that the observed inflammatory response is, at least in part, a consequence of endothelial and/or vessel damage due to ligation. In order to avoid such limitations, a shear stress modifying cuff has been developed based upon calculated fluid dynamics, whose cone shaped inner lumen was selected to create defined regions of low, high and oscillatory shear stress within the common carotid artery 10. By applying this model in Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) knockout mice fed a high cholesterol western type diet, vascular lesions develop upstream and downstream from the cuff. Their phenotype is correlated with the regional flow dynamics 11 as confirmed by in vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) 12: Low and laminar shear stress upstream of the cuff causes the formation of extensive plaques of a more vulnerable phenotype, whereas oscillatory shear stress downstream of the cuff induces stable atherosclerotic lesions 11. In those regions of high shear stress and high laminar flow within the cuff, typically no atherosclerotic plaques are observed. In conclusion, the shear stress-modifying cuff procedure is a reliable surgical approach to produce phenotypically different atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE-deficient mice.

Particulate fouling is the process of deposition of extraneous particulate matter on other surfaces. In particular, particulate fouling is a major cause of concern in energy-intensive heat recovery systems like biomass gasifiers, coal fired boiler and waste incinerators. The thermal energy is extracted from the flue gas using a system of heat exchangers. The flue gas is however contaminated with particulate matter, tar, nitrogen, sulphur and alkali compounds. The contaminants are transported by the flue gas and interact with the heat exchanger surface eventually forming a deposit layer. The deposit layers have very low thermal conductivity and leads to drastic loss in thermal efficiency apart from maintenance problems and capital losses. The focus of this research is to understand the process of particulate fouling from a fundamental view point based on particle surface interactions and the global effects associated with process conditions by experiments. A numerical model to capture the deposition and removal of particles over heat exchanger surfaces is aimed at. Particles which arrive at the heat exchanger surface and undergo inertial impaction can stick to the surface, rebound and might remove other previously deposited particles. In order to model the process, a sticking criterion is necessary. The interaction of a particle with other particles on the heat exchanger surface can be either in a dry state or in the presence of a thin liquid film due to condensation of alkali compounds. Detailed experiments were performed to evaluate the sticking criterion for particle impaction over a liquid coated surface under elastic and elastic-plastic deformation conditions. An empirical relation in terms of Stokes number was evaluated to determine the energy loss in the thin interstitial liquid film. A critical Stokes number range between 3 and 8 was observed below which particles do not rebound from the surface. In the Stokes number range of 8 to 20, the particles were observed to rebound but do not overcome the viscous effects of the liquid layer. A high-temperature closed-loop vertical wind tunnel was designed and constructed to perform fouling experiments under controlled conditions. The effect of gas velocity, particle concentration, particle size distribution, gas temperature, heat exchanger tube orientation and geometry was studied. A measurement technique that allowed the evaluation of temporal evolution of the fouling layer thickness was used. The experimental investigations revealed that the shear induced by the gas flowing around the tube has a major effect on the overall deposit growth dynamics. The geometry and orientation of the tube indicated that deposition and removal of particles is strongly coupled to the flow dynamics and particle surface interactions. A numerical model was implemented in a commercial software package to capture the deposition and removal of particles. The deposition model was based on particle-surface interactions including elastic-plastic deformations and the removal model was based on the rolling moment induced by the flow and on the energy transferred by other impacting particles. The fundamental impaction experiments along with the controlled experiments have provided better insight into the process of particulate fouling and resulted in the development of a numerical model which can be used to devise mitigation strategies for particulate fouling.

In previous studies, the radial and tangential leakage flow velocities in the gap between the rotating impeller and the pump casing of a biocentrifugal ventricular assist device (VAD) model were obtained by hot wire. Based on the velocities obtained, the leakage flow rate through the clearance gap between the impeller and the stationary casing, as well as the wall shear stress distributions on the inner surface of the stationary casing, can be determined. By integrating the radial velocities numerically, the leakage flow rate through the clearance gap was found to be 6.43 x 10(-4) m3/s under operating conditions, which is 25.7% of the inlet flow. This is equivalent to approximately 1.7 L/min in the prototype. The leakage flow rate was found to be 5.22 x 10(-4) m3/s and 3.66 x 10(-4) m3/s under fully opened and fully closed conditions, respectively. The double volute design significantly affected wall shear stress distributions, with the high wall shear stress region concentrated at the beginning of the splitter plate under all three flow conditions. In contrast, the high wall shear stress region could only be observed at the cutwater in the fully closed condition. The highest wall shear stress was found to be 44.1 Pa, which is much lower than the threshold values that cause hemolysis. On the other hand, the lowest wall shear stress was found to be 21.31 Pa. This wall shear stress level is much higher than the shear stress required to disrupt aggregates of blood cells and platelets. These findings explain why hemolysis and thrombosis are at the low level in the clearance gap of this VAD.

hiTRAN® Wire Matrix Inserts in Fouling Applications

The enrichment and isolation of rare cells from complex samples, such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from whole blood, is an important engineering problem with widespread clinical applications. One approach uses a microfluidic obstacle array with an antibody surface functionalization to both guide cells into contact with the capture surface and to facilitate adhesion; geometrically enhanced differential immunocapture is a design strategy in which the array is designed to promote target cell–obstacle contact and minimize other interactions (Gleghorn et al. 2010; Kirby et al. 2012). We present a simulation that uses capture experiments in a simple Hele-Shaw geometry (Santana et al. 2012) to inform a target-cell-specific capture model that can predict capture probability in immunocapture microdevices of any arbitrary complex geometry. We show that capture performance is strongly dependent on the array geometry, and that it is possible to select an obstacle array geometry that maximizes capture efficiency (by creating combinations of frequent target cell–obstacle collisions and shear stress low enough to support capture), while simultaneously enhancing purity by minimizing nonspecific adhesion of both smaller contaminant cells (with infrequent cell–obstacle collisions) and larger contaminant cells (by focusing those collisions into regions of high shear stress).

Von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a large multimeric hemostatic protein. VWF is critical in arresting platelets in regions of high shear stress found in blood circulation. Excessive cleavage of VWF that leads to reduced VWF multimer size in plasma can cause acquired von Willebrand syndrome, which is a bleeding disorder found in some heart valve diseases and in patients receiving mechanical circulatory support. It has been proposed that hemodynamics (blood flow) found in these environments ultimately leads to VWF cleavage. In the context of experiments reported in the literature, scission theory, developed for polymers, is applied here to provide insight into flow that can produce strong extensional forces on VWF that leads to domain unfolding and exposure of a cryptic site for cleavage through a metalloproteinase. Based on theoretical tensile forces, laminar flow only enables VWF cleavage when shear rate is large enough (>2800 s−1) or when VWF is exposed to constant shear stress for nonphysiological exposure times (>20 min). Predicted forces increase in turbulence, increasing the chance for VWF cleavage. These findings can be used when designing blood-contacting medical devices by providing hemodynamic limits to these devices that can otherwise lead to acquired von Willebrand syndrome.

ABSTRACTThe mechanisms leading to aneurysm occlusion after treatment with flow‐diverting devices are not fully understood. Flow modification induces thrombus formation within the aneurysm cavity, but fibrin can simultaneously accumulate and cover the device scaffold, leading to further flow modification. However, the interplay and relative importance of these processes are not clearly understood. A computational model of fibrin accumulation and flow modification after flow diversion treatment of cerebral aneurysms has been developed under the guidance of in vitro experiments and observations. The model is based on the loose coupling of flow and transport‐reaction equations that are solved separately by independent codes. Interaction or reactive terms account for thrombin production from prothrombin stimulated by thrombogenic metallic wires and inhibition by antithrombin as well as fibrin production from fibrinogen stimulated by thrombin and flow shear stress, and fibrin adhesion to device wires and already attached fibrin. The computational model was demonstrated and tested on idealized vessel and aneurysm geometries. The model was able to reproduce the salient features of fibrin accumulation after the deployment of flow‐diverting devices in idealized in vitro models of cerebral aneurysms. Namely, fibrin production in regions of high shear stress, initial accumulation at the inflow zone, and progressive occlusion of the device and corresponding flow attenuation. The computational model linking flow dynamics to fibrin production, transport, and adhesion can be used to investigate and better understand the effects that lead to fibrin accumulation and the resulting aneurysm inflow reduction and intra‐aneurysmal flow modulation.

Valvular heart disease affects 2.5% of the population and is frequently associated with congenital heart disease. Blood flow is critical for valve formation, but the cellular mechanosensors translating flow into the transcriptional regulation of valve development remain undiscovered. Here, we identify that primary cilia and blood flow in mouse embryos regulate early valve development in vivo by regionally controlling endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) through the modulation of Krüppel-like factor 4 (Klf4) in the endocardial cushions. Endocardial ciliation decreases during cushion development in regions of high shear stress, correlating with KLF4 downregulation and EndoMT progression. Mouse embryos lacking cilia exhibit blood flow-dependent accumulation of KLF4 and impaired cushion cellularization. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing revealed that the cilia-knockout and contractility-knockout endocardium fails to progress through EndoMT pseudostages, retains endothelial markers, and has reduced EndoMT and mesenchymal genes that KLF4 antagonizes. These data indicate that endocardial primary cilia function as mechanosensors in cushion development through the regional regulation of KLF4.

Heart valve disease is a major contributor to cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. While bioprosthetic valves have satisfactory hemodynamic performance, mechanical heart valves (MHVs) are more durable, so their clinical use is increasing [1]. Unfortunately, current MHVs cause flow abnormalities, thrombosis and hemolysis [2]; they are therefore at a stage far from duplicating the function of natural valves. Recent improvements in computer performance and numerical methods have resulted in significant breakthroughs in MHV design [2]. In particular, computational fluid dynamics has been used to redesign valves to minimize the production of turbulence, regions of high shear stresses, pressure loss and stagnation regions in the vicinity of the leaflets [3]. These studies have, for the most part, used numerical techniques that require domain discretization such as finite element methods (FEM) or finite difference methods (FDM). However, these methods cannot represent the complexity of the moving and deforming boundaries present in an operating valve without extraordinarily high computational costs. That is, methods that use domain discretization require a fine mesh in small gaps between leaflets and near the valve housing. As a result, simplifying assumptions are typically made which introduce error into the results. We have recently implemented two meshless numerical techniques — the boundary element method (BEM) and the radial functions method (RFM) — that compute fluid flow fields without domain discretization and thus can model valve leaflet motions and unsteady flow with reasonable computational costs. The goal of this study was to model blood flow through mechanical heart valves using these techniques. In this paper we present the results of BEM simulations of heart valves in a range of open states. RFM techniques, which can efficiently simulate the nonlinear effects of inertia in the domain, are also described.

ABSTRACTMicrostructure evolution of P92 heat-resistant steel during long-term service has high influence on the creep property. In this paper, P92 heat-resistant steel samples were aged at 898 K for 10,000 h, 15,000 h and 25,000 h. The effect of thermal ageing on microstructure was analysed through optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The creep behaviour at specific shear stresses (14.7 MPa, 20 MPa, 25.6 MPa, 41 MPa) was investigated through helicoid-spring creep testing. The relationship between microstructure evolution and creep properties was discussed. The results demonstrated that the basic morphology of P92 heat-resistant steel samples following long-term thermal ageing was martensite strip structure, while the precipitated phases were MX, Laves and M23C6. The coarsening of M23C6 carbide was slower than Laves phase during thermal ageing of 15,000 ~ 25,000 h. Precipitation strengthening for the grain interior was corresponding to the Orowan mechanism. In the regions of high shear stresses (14.7 MPa, 20 MPa), the Laves phases played an important role in dislocation motion inhibition at grain boundaries, while in the regions of low shear stresses (25.6 MPa, 41 MPa), the M23C6 phases played a significant role in dislocation motion inhibition at grain boundaries. Moreover, the main precipitate which affected the creep of P92 heat-resistant steels under the lower shear stresses of 14.7 MPa and 20 MPa was Laves phase and the higher shear stresses of 25.6 MPa and 41 MPa was mainly M23C6 phase.

Stresses around fasteners in composite structures in flexure and effects on fatigue damage initiation part 1: cheese-head bolts

BackgroundOrganoid cultivation in suspension culture requires agitation at low shear stress to allow for nutrient diffusion, which preserves tissue structure. Multiplex systems for organoid cultivation have been proposed, but whether they meet similar shear stress parameters as the regularly used spinner flask and its correlation with the successful generation of brain organoids has not been determined.ResultsHere we used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate two multiplex culture conditions: steering plates on an orbital shaker and the use of a previously described bioreactor. The bioreactor had low speed and high shear stress regions that may affect cell aggregate growth, depending on volume, whereas the computed variables of the steering plates were closer to those of the spinning flask.ConclusionOur protocol improves the initial steps of the standard brain organoid formation, and the produced organoids displayed regionalized brain structures, including retinal pigmented cells. Overall, we conclude that suspension culture on orbital steering plates is a cost-effective practical alternative to previously described platforms for the cultivation of brain organoids for research and multiplex testing.

Endothelial cells undergo a rapid cell-cell junction inclination following exposure to atheroprotective unidirectional flow. In contrast, atherosclerotic lesions correlate with a heterogeneous distribution of the junctional wall inclination in cells exposed to time-varying, reversing, and oscillatory flow as well as to low mean shear stress. However, the underlying biochemical events by which endothelial cells distinctively respond to unidirectional versus flow reversal remain unclear. Here, we show that the subcellular distribution of flow-induced Akt-1 phosphorylation in endothelial cells lining the mouse aorta varies depending on local hemodynamics. Activated Akt-1 accumulated in perinuclear areas of cells in regions predisposed to disturbed flow but were localized at the cell-cell junction in regions of high unidirectional laminar shear stress. In flow-adapted human endothelial cells, reversal in flow direction was associated within minutes with a subcellular concentration of phosphorylated Akt-1 at the upstream edge of cells. Interestingly, oscillatory flow (with a zero mean shear stress) failed to activate Akt-1, whereas a unidirectional pulsatile flow of similar amplitude induced an increase in Akt-1 phosphorylation. Finally, silencing of the G protein αq/11 subunit abrogated both flow-induced Akt-1 and GSK-3β activation. Together, these results characterize the existence of a Gαq/11-mediated Akt-1 signaling pathway that is dynamically responsive to flow direction, thereby offering a novel approach to regulating EC dysfunctions in regions subjected to flow reversal.

Structuring of surfaces increases the efficiency of heat exchangers, but influences the deposition of particles suspended in the fluid. It is assumed, that spherical dimples suppress the deposition of particles or even induce a permanent cleaning of the occupied surface. In this study the self-cleaning mechanism of dimpled surfaces in heat exchangers is investigated to describe the influencing factors and mechanisms of particulate fouling. To get a detailed insight into fundamental deposition mechanisms, experiments on different dimpled surfaces have been carried out. According to conditions of industriell problems, e.g. cooling water fouling using river or sea water, concentrations of particles (spherical glas, dp,50 = 3 μm) of c = 2 g/l to c = 10 g/l were used. Influences of enforced turbulence due to structuring of surface with dimples or increasing fluid velocity were investigated and visualialized with μPIV technique. Furthermore, different test durations and number as well as the geometry of the dimples were considered and evaluated with specially developed analytical methods. In extension of preceding studies on the effect of a single dimple the influencing parameters were quantified and the effect of multiple dimples in a row were investigated experimentally. A repeatable fouling pattern was observed for the different structured surfaces. The quantitative results show that the surface coverage is generally decreased downstream of the dimples. Therefore, the results confirm earlier findings suggesting an advantage of dimpled surfaces against other surface structures with respect to thermo-hydraulic efficiency as well as reduced fouling propensit. Thus, this study has shown the occurrence of self-cleaning mechanisms of the surface downstream of the dimple and provides the possibility to estimate values for the reduction of particulate depositions on dimpled surfaces. All results presented were obtained by analyzing the surface around the dimple.

Towards a description of particulate fouling: From single particle deposition to clogging