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- Laminar flow in chevron-type plate heat exchangers: CFD analysis of tortuosity, shape factor and friction factorPublication . Fernandes, Carla S.; Dias, Ricardo P.; Nóbrega, João M.; Maia, João M.Liquid foodstuffs with high viscosity are usually processed in plate heat exchangers (PHEs) at laminar or low Reynolds numbers, Re, flows. The tortuosity coefficient is used by the manufacturers for the design and optimization of PHE geometries. Using the finite-element computational fluid dynamics program POLYFLOW®, fully developed laminar flows in double-sine chevron-type PHEs passages are analysed in this work. The corrugation angle and channel aspect ratio of the passages vary in a broad range, PHEs with common area enlargement factors and with high area density being studied. The tortuosity coefficient and the coefficient K (Kozeny´s coefficient in granular beds) from the friction factor correlations increase with the increase of the channels aspect ratio and the decrease of the chevron angle. The shape factor from the PHEs passages also increases with the decrease of the chevron angle and is weakly influenced by the channel aspect ratio. In this paper, relations to predict the tortuosity coefficient and shape factor are proposed, the coefficient K being predicted resorting to the tortuosity coefficient and shape factor. The coefficient K compares well with literature data in the region of common chevron angles, channel aspect ratio and area enlargement factor.
- Micro-flow visualization of in vitro blood through a microchannel with a bifurcation and confluencePublication . Cidre, Diana; Lima, Rui A.; Fernandes, Carla S.; Dias, Ricardo P.; Ishikawa, Takuji; Imai, Yohsuke; Yamaguchi, TakamiMicro-visualization techniques have been used to investigate the in vitro blood flow through straight glass capillaries. Although the glass microchannels present certain similarities to in vivo microcirculation, it is also clear that these kind of in vitro experiments differ from microvessels in several respects, such as: elasticity of microvessels, effect of the endothelial surface layer and microvascular networks composed with short irregular vessel segments which are linked by numerous bifurcations and convergences. Thus it was not surprising that several studies on blood flow in glass microtubes and in microvessels have yielded conflicting results with respect to blood viscosity and flow resistance. The main purpose of this work is to improve our understanding about the effect of a bifurcation and convergence on the rheological properties of in vitro blood. The microchannel containing a bifurcation and confluence will be fabricated in PDMS by using a soft lithography technique. The flow behaviour of both pure water (PW) and dextran 40 (Dx40) containing about 14% (14Hct) of human red blood cells (RBCs) will be investigated by means of a confocal micro-PTV system. Additionally, the experimental measurements obtained with PW will be also compared numerically by using the commercial finite element software package POLYFLOW®.
- Blood flow in microchannels manufactured by a low cost technique: xurographyPublication . Pinto, Elmano; Taboada, Bruna Rafaela Pereira; Faustino, Vera; Cidre, Diana; Rodrigues, Raquel Oliveira; Miranda, João Mário; Garcia, Valdemar; Dias, Ricardo P.; Lima, Rui A.The xurography is a technique that has been used to make molds to produce microchannels. In contrast to soft lithography [1, 2], xurography uses equipments and materials commonly used in the printing industry, such as cutting plotters, vinyl and other materials. The main advantage of this technique is to fabricate microchannels at a reduced cost [3, 4]. The Fahraeus-Lindqvist effect is a well know phenomenon that happens in microcirculation, where red blood cells (RBCs) have tendency to migrate toward the centre of the microtube resulting in a marginal cell-free layer (CFL) at regions adjacent to the wall [5]. Recently several studies showed strong evidence that the formation of the CFL is affected by the geometry of the microchannel [1, 6, 7] and the physiological conditions of the working fluid, such as the hematocrit (Hct) [2, 8]. The main objective of the present work is to fabricate polydimethysiloxane (PDMS) microchannels by using a soft xurography technique in order perform blood flow studies. Additionally, a high-speed video microscopy system is used to measure the CFL thickness in two different geometries, i. e., bifurcations and confluences.
- In vitro blood flow behaviour in microchannels with simple and complex geometriesPublication . Garcia, Valdemar; Dias, Ricardo P.; Lima, Rui A.Over the years, various experimental methods have been applied in an effort to understand the blood flow behaviour in microcirculation. The development of optical experimental techniques has contributed to obtain possible explanations on the way the blood flows through microvessels. In recent years, due to advances in computers, optics, and digital image processing techniques, it has become possible to combine a conventional particle image velocimetry (PIV) system with an inverted microscope and consequently improve both spatial and temporal resolution. The present review outlines our most relevant studies on the flow properties of blood at a microscale level by using current micro-PIV and confocal micro-PIV techniques. In this chapter, our recent studies about in vitro blood flow behaviour in microchannels both in straight and with complex geometries are presented. In straight microchannels we present some phenomena such as Fahraeus effect and Fahraeus-Lindqvist effect, the flow of particles and red blood cells (RBCs) in diluted suspensions, the flow of RBCs in concentrated suspensions, the cell-free layer and sedimentations effects. The most recent studies in blood flow through complex geometries such as bifurcations, confluences and stenosis are also reviewed. By using a chromatographic method, the flow of RBC s through a network of microcapillaries is presented.
- Size fractionation by slalom chromatography and hydrodynamic chromatographyPublication . Dias, Ricardo P.Hydrodynamic chromatography, also called separation by flow, is based on the use of the parabolic flow profile occurring in open capillaries or in the pores from a column filled with non-porous particles. The hydrodynamic chromatography separation medium, if any, is much simpler than that from size exclusion chromatography (porous particles), the former technique being used in the size-fractionation of many colloids and macromolecules. The transition between hydrodynamic chromatography (obtained using low flow rates) and slalom chromatography (obtained using high flow rates) was reported in studies related with the migration behaviour of proteins, plasmid DNAs and double stranded DNAs. Slalom chromatography is mainly applied in the size-fractionation of large double stranded DNA fragments and may compete with electrophoretic techniques. In the present paper it is discussed the main patents, applications, advantages and drawbacks related to hydrodynamic chromatography and slalom chromatography, as well as some strategies that may improve the performance of these simple size-fractionation techniques.
- Fabricação de microcanais utilizando o método de xurografia: visualização da camada livre de célulasPublication . Pinto, Elmano; Pinho, Diana; Bento, David; Correia, Teresa Montenegro; Garcia, Valdemar; Dias, Ricardo P.; Miranda, João MárioNo presente estudo, pretendeu-se desenvolver/melhorar uma metodologia de microfabricação de baixo custo, conhecida por xurografia e efectuar a visualização e quantificação da camada livre de células para diferentes escoamentos sanguíneos em microcanais.
- Asymmetry of red blood cell motions in a microchannel with a diverging and converging bifurcationPublication . Leble, Vladimir; Lima, Rui A.; Dias, Ricardo P.; Fernandes, Carla S.; Ishikawa, Takuji; Imai, Yohsuke; Yamaguchi, TakamiIn microcirculation, red blood cells (RBCs) flowing through bifurcations may deform considerably due to combination of different phenomena that happen at the micro-scale level, such as: attraction effect, high shear and extensional stress, all of which may influence the rheological properties and flow behavior of blood. Thus, it is important to investigate in detail the behavior of blood flow occurring at both bifurcations and confluences. In the present paper, by using a micro-PTV system, we investigated the variations of velocity profiles of two working fluids flowing through diverging and converging bifurcations - human red blood cells suspended in dextran 40 with about 14% of haematocrit level (14Hct) and pure water seeded with fluorescent trace particles. All the measurements were performed in the center plane of rectangular microchannels using a constant flow rate of about 3.0×10-12 m3/s. Moreover, the experimental data was compared with numerical results obtained for Newtonian incompressible fluid. The behavior of RBCs was asymmetric at the divergent and convergent side of the geometry, whereas the velocities of tracer particles suspended in pure water were symmetric and well described by numerical simulation. The formation of a red cell-depleted zone immediately downstream of the apex of the converging bifurcation was observed and its effect on velocity profiles of RBCs flow has been investigated. Conversely, a cell-depleted region was not formed around the apex of the diverging bifurcation and as a result the adhesion of RBCs to the wall surface was enhanced in this region.
- Proposal of an automatic method to measure the cell free layer in microchannels with bifurcationsPublication . Bento, David; Lima, José; Dias, Ricardo P.; Lima, Rui A.Blood is an opaque, heterogeneous, non-Newtonian fluid composed by a yellowish homogeneous fluid – the plasma – and a series of cellular elements. Red blood cells (RBCs) in microvessels and microchannels has tendency to undergo axial migration due to the parabolic velocity profile which results in a high shear stress around wall that forces the RBCs to move towards the center induced by the tank treading motion of the RBC membrane [1]. As a result there is a formation of a cell free layer (CFL) with extremely low concentration of cells around the walls of the microchannel [1-3]. This phenomenon is commonly observed in both in vitro [2, 3] and in vivo [4] experiments and has been extensively studied in small straight glass tubes [2, 5]. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are very few quantitative studies on the effect of complex geometries (such as bifurcations and confluences) on the CFL flow behaviour. The main objective of this study is to develop a MatLab script able to measure automatically the RBCs trajectories, at the CFL interface, and CFL thickness in microchannels containing series of bifurcations.
- Blood flow in cylindrical stenosed channel – numerical approachPublication . Ferreira, Stéphanie; Rocha, Daniela; Dias, Ricardo P.; Fernandes, Carla S.Arthrosclerosis means literally “arteries hardening”. However, arthrosclerosis it is a generic term that is related with three patterns of vascular diseases, which have the hardening and loss of elasticity of the arteries walls as a common factor [1]. The dominant pattern is atherosclerosis, characterized by the formation of atheroma, which is comprised by fibrous plaques that generally exhibit a centre rich in lipids. In the present work, the flow of blood in a cylindrical channel, containing an atheroma at the walls, has been numerically studied using the finite-element software package POLYFLOW®. In the simulations, blood was considered an incompressible homogenous fluid and the flow regime was the laminar regime. The rheology of the mentioned fluid was described by distinct constitutive equations [2] - constant viscosity, power-law model and Carreau model. The local behaviour of properties such as pressure, interstitial velocities, shear rate and shear stress was explored in the present investigation. The local behaviour of these properties can help to understand the formation and detachment of thrombi.
- Análise do escoamento sanguíneo em microcanais com bifurcaçõesPublication . Cidre, Diana; Oliveira, Brigitte; Lagoela, Marco; Fernandes, Carla S.; Lima, Rui A.; Dias, Ricardo P.; Balsa, Carlos; Ishikawa, Takuji; Yamaguchi, TakamiVários estudos revelaram que a informação obtida sobre as propriedades reológicas do sangue em capilares de vidro difere da situação in vivo (Pries et al. 1994). As principais causas potenciais para estas discrepâncias podem ser devidas à camada superficial formada por células endoteliais e às redes microvasculares compostas por segmentos de vasos irregulares e curtos que estão ligados por numerosas bifurcações e convergências (Maeda 1996).O principal objectivo deste trabalho é analisar as propriedades não-Newtonianas do sangue durante o escoamento em modelos microvasculares. Neste estudo foi utilizado o método de litografia suave para fabricar microcanais bifurcados com secção rectangular em polidimetisiloxano (PDMS). Usando um sistema “confocal micro-PTV” (Lima et al. 2008), mediu-se o efeito da bifurcação no escoamento de partículas fluorescentes diluídas em água pura e em suspensões concentradas de eritrócitos. Os resultados experimentais obtidos pelo sistema “confocal micro-PTV” foram complementados por modelos hemodinâmicos computacionais. Após a execução de várias simulações com o software comercial de elementos finitos POLYFLOW®, compararam-se alguns resultados experimentais com resultados numéricos. Os resultados preliminares sugerem que as trajectórias dos eritrócitos podem sofrer alterações na direcção transversal ao escoamento devido à colisão com os eritrócitos que se encontram na vizinhança do ponto de divergência da bifurcação (Brigitte et al. 2009).