Comparison of flow characteristics of enlarged blood pump models with different impeller design

In earlier studies, a 5:1 enlarged pump model of the Kyoto-NTN Magnetically Suspended Centrifugal Blood Pump has been constructed and the gap pressure and wall shear stress have been measured. With the satisfactory results ob tained and also as air was the medium used in the previous investigations, another 5:1 enlarged pump model using water as the medium was thus designed and constructed. Five different impeller blade profile designs are used in the present study. By varying (1) the design of the blade profiles i.e. fo rward, radial and backward, (2) the number of blades used and (3) the rotat ing speeds, the flow characteristics of the pump are investigated. It is fo und that the impeller with the higher number of blades used with the forwar d and straight blade profiles have the best performance. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd.