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Computational Evaluation of Dialysis Fluid Flow in Dialyzers With Variously Designed Jackets
Author(s) -
Yamamoto Kenichiro,
Matsuda Masato,
Hirano Ayaka,
Takizawa Natsuo,
Iwashima Shigeto,
Yakushiji Taiji,
Fukuda Makoto,
Miyasaka Takehiro,
Sakai Kiyotaka
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
artificial organs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1525-1594
pISSN - 0160-564X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1594.2009.00753.x
Subject(s) - baffle , dialysis , fluid dynamics , flow velocity , computational fluid dynamics , volumetric flow rate , flow (mathematics) , materials science , mechanics , biomedical engineering , chemistry , surgery , mechanical engineering , engineering , medicine , physics
Dialyzer performance strongly depends on the flow of blood and dialysis fluid as well as membrane performance. It is necessary, particularly to optimize dialysis fluid flow, to develop a highly efficient dialyzer. The objective of the present study is to evaluate by computational analysis the effects of dialyzer jacket baffle structure, taper angle, and taper length on dialysis fluid flow. We modeled 10 dialyzers of varying baffle angles (0, 30, 120, 240, and 360°) with and without tapers. We also modeled 30 dialyzers of varying taper lengths (0, 12.5, 25.0, and 50.0 mm) and angles (0, 2, 4, and 6°) based on technical data of APS‐SA dialyzers having varying surface areas of 0.8, 1.5, and 2.5 m 2 (Rexeed). Dialysis fluid flow velocity was calculated by the finite element method. The taper part was divided into 10 sections of varying fluid resistances. A pressure of 0 Pa was set at the dialysis fluid outlet, and a dialysis fluid flow rate of 500 mL/min at the dialysis fluid inlet. Water was used as the dialysis fluid in the computational analysis. Results for dialysis fluid flow velocity of the modeled dialyzers indicate that taper design and a fully surrounded baffle are important in making the dialysis fluid flow into a hollow‐fiber bundle easily and uniformly. However, dialysis fluid flow channeling occurred particularly at the outflowing part with dialyzers having larger taper lengths and angles. Optimum design of dialysis jacket structure is essential to optimizing dialysis fluid flow and to increasing dialyzer performance.