Novel heart valve leaflet designs with stiff polymeric materials and biomimetic kinematics

Despite continuous efforts to improve the robustness of cardiac valve implants,neither bioprosthetic nor mechanical valves fulfill both hemodynamic and durability requirements.This study discussed novel flexible leaflet designs,focusing on polymeric materials with proven hemocompatibility,such as polyether ether ketone,of much higher stiffness than native tissue,aiming at optimal valve implants.A biomimetic valve with a single-curvature belly-curve(B-C)was used as a reference for new design variants with a double-curvature B-C with varying radii.Soft(13.2 MPa)and stiff(2.4 GPa)leaflet materials and different thicknesses were studied using lean simulations and in vitro experiments under physiologic hemodynamic conditions.The performance was assessed using opening pressure(OP)and orifice area(OA).The latter was determined by a newly developed automatized image processing tool.Experimental trends are in agreement with simulations and demonstrated that a buckling-inspired double-curvature leaflet design significantly enhances the trileaflet valve opening behavior,which is particularly advantageous for stiffer leaflet materials.Compared to the reference,the best-performing variant showed an OP improvement of 47%and 44%based on simulations and experiments,respectively.In contrast,the achieved mean pressure differential was directly comparable to state-of-the-art bioprosthetic valves.The OA was slightly reduced for new variants but still in the satisfying range.

MODELING, VALIDATION AND OPTIMAL DESIGN OF THE CLAMPING FORCE CONTROL VALVE USED IN CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION

Associated dynamic performance of the clamping force control valve used in continuously variable transmission （CVT） is optimized. Firstly, the structure and working principle of the valve are analyzed, and then a dynamic model is set up by means of mechanism analysis. For the purpose of checking the validity of the modeling method, a prototype workpiece of the valve is manufactured for comparison test, and its simulation result follows the experimental result quite well. An associated performance index is founded considering the response time, overshoot and saving energy, and five structural parameters are selected to adjust for deriving the optimal associated performance index. The optimization problem is solved by the genetic algorithm （GA） with necessary constraints. Finally, the properties of the optimized valve are compared with those of the prototype workpiece, and the results prove that the dynamic performance indexes of the optimized valve are much better than those of the prototype workpiece.

The optimum design of the pressure control spring of the relief valve based on neural networks

Based on the traditional optimization methods about the pressure control spring of the relief valve and combined with the advantages of neural network, this paper put forward the optimization method with many parameters and a lot of constraints based on neural network. The object function of optimization is transformed into the energy function of the neural network and the mathematical model of neural network optimization about the pressure control spring of the relief valve is set up in this method which also puts for ward its own algorithm. An example of application shows that network convergence gets stable state of minimization object function E, and object function converges to the utmost minimum point with steady function, then best solution is gained, which makes the design plan better. The algorithm of solution for the problem is effective about the optimum design of the pressure control spring and improves the performance target.

Design and Maintenance of Valves on a H_2 Reciprocating Compressor

Cylinder valves are the most important parts of a reciprocating compressor; their working condition affects the safety and operation of the reciprocating compressor directly. In initial design, it is dedicated to simulate the behaviour of a reciprocating compressor and peorformance of cylinder valves. For hydrogen application, it is considering carefully the real operating conditions both from the dynamic point of view and taking care of the effective condi- tions of the gas purity. The dynamic aspects of the design are related to the mechanical behaviour and to the conse- quent fatigue. The mathematical models are able to determine the ring displacement and the flow and pressure drop of the gas. Instruments are available for on-line monitoring of the reciprocating compressor. The various parts have to be repaired in time in case they have abrupt problems during the operating period. By detail design and maintenance, saving the quantities of spare parts, the reciprocating compressor of the plant can be running smoothly. Actually, the cylinder valves can be used nearly three years.

Structure Optimization and Performance Analysis of a Multiple Radial Magnetorheological Valve

Due to the controllable and reversible properties of the smart magnetorheological （MR） fluid,a novel multiple radial MR valve was developed. The fluid flowchannels of the proposed MR valve were mainly composed of two annular fluid flowchannels,four radial fluid flow channels and three centric pipe fluid flowchannels. The working principle of the multiple radial MR valve was introduced in detail,and the structure optimization design was carried out using ANSYS software to obtain the optimal structure parameters. Moreover,the optimized MR valve was compared with preoptimized MR valve in terms of their magnetic flux density of radial fluid resistance gap and performance of pressure drop. The experimental test rig was set up to investigate the performance of pressure drop of the proposed MR valve under different currents applied and different loading cases. The results showthat the pressure drop between the inlet and outlet port could reach 5. 77 MPa at the applied current of 0. 8 A. Furthermore,the experimental results also indicate that the loading cases had no effect on the performance of pressure drop.

Parameters Sensitivity Characteristics of Highly Integrated Valve-Controlled Cylinder Force Control System

Nowadays, a highly integrated valve?controlled cylinder(HIVC) is applied to drive the joints of legged robots. Although the adoption of HIVC has resulted in high?performance robot control, the hydraulic force system still has problems, such as strong nonlinearity, and time?varying parameters. This makes HIVC force control very diffcult and complex. How to improve the control performance of the HIVC force control system and find the influence rule of the system parameters on the control performance is very significant. Firstly, the mathematical model of HIVC force control system is established. Then the mathematical expression for parameter sensitivity matrix is obtained by applying matrix sensitivity analysis(PSM). Then, aimed at the sinusoidal response under(three factors and three levels) working conditions, the simulation and the experiment are conducted. While the error between the simulation and experiment can’t be avoided. Therefore, combined with the range analysis, the error in the two performance indexes of sinusoidal response under the whole working condition is analyzed. Besides, the sensitivity variation pattern for each system parameter under the whole working condition is figured out. Then the two sensitivity indexes for the three system parameters, which are supply pressure, proportional gain and initial displacement of piston, are proved experimentally. The proposed method significantly reveals the sensitivity characteristics of HIVC force control system, which can make the contribution to improve the control performance.

Optimum Autofrettage Pressure of Hydrogen Valve Using Finite Element and Fatigue Analysis

The presented article shows an estimation method of optimum autofrettage pressure taking into consideration subsequent cyclic loading. An autofrettage process is used in pressure vessel applications for strength improvement. The process relies on applying massive pressure that causes internal portions of the part to yield plastically, resulting in internal compressive residual stresses when pressure is released. Later applied working pressure (much lower than autofrettage pressure) creates stress reduced by the residual compressive stress improving the structural performance of the pressure vessels. The optimum autofrettage pressure is a load that maximizes the fatigue life of the structure at the working load. The estimation method of that pressure of a hydrogen valve is the subject of the presented work. Finite element and fatigue analyses were employed to investigate the presented problem. An automated model was developed to analyze the design for various autofrettage pressures. As the results of the procedure, the optimum autofrettage pressure is determined. The research has shown that the developed method can profitably investigate the complex parts giving the autofrettage load that maximizes the fatigue life. The findings suggest that the technique can be applied to a large group of products subjected to the autofrettage process.

Dynamic characteristics of the high-flow water three-way valve

Operating principle of water three-way valve with high flow for individual hydraulic prop in coal was presented in this paper, its strict and precise mathematical model was established, its flow field was simulated numerically by software Fluent, and its dynamic characteristics were analyzed during the work process such as raising leg, loading and overflow, the influence of the related parameters on high-flow water three-way valve was determined. The results as follows： during the raising leg stage and early raising leg stage, when the damping ratio increases, the overshoot of system decreases and the setting time reduces, and the dynamic response performance has a significant improvement. During the loading stage and the overflow stage, the pressure in plunger chamber of single hydraulic prop, the output flow and the displacement of the high-flow water three-way valve decrease with the decreasing of the external load. The spring stiffness of the safety valve directs the flow and the spool＇s displacement of the safety valve, and it can be used to control the high-flow three-way valve＇s sensitivity.

Modeling of fluid-induced vibrations and identification of hydrodynamic forces on flow control valves

Dynamics and vibration of control valves under flow-induced vibration are analyzed. Hydrodynamic load characteristics and structural response under flow-induced vibration are mainly influenced by inertia, damping, elastic, geometric characteristics and hydraulic parameters. The purpose of this work is to investigate the dynamic behavior of control valves in the response to self-excited fluid flow. An analytical and numerical method is developed to simulate the dynamic and vibrational behavior of sliding dam valves, in response to flow excitation. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed model, the simulation results are validated with experimental ones. Finally, to achieve the optimal valve geometry, numerical results for various shapes of valves are compared. Rounded valve with the least amount of flow turbulence obtains lower fluctuations and vibration amplitude compared with the flat and steep valves. Simulation results demonstrate that with the optimal design requirements of valves, vibration amplitude can be reduced by an average to 30%.

Research on CAD/CAE/MDO integrated system for nuclear valve products

In order to realize rapid response to performance-driven design for nuclear valve products, a rapid design platform is constructed by combining the structural features with the multi-characteristic optimization requirement, which integrates parametric design, multi-characteristic simulation, and multidisciplinary design optimization of nuclear power valves together. Through the integration of heterogeneous CAX/MDO software, such as UG, ANSYS and iSIGHT, the analytical efficiency is enhanced by coupling respective and unique advantage of various software systems, and the mutual coordination and information sharing are realized between the heterogeneous systems. The application example shows that the system is convenient operation that improves the automation in design and analysis on nuclear valves. The results can provide a practical and effective development method and technical reference of the integrated design system for valve products.

Evaluation of Stress Strain Patterns in a Stentless Aortic Valve and Its Leaflets

Objective: To design a new trileaflet aortic valve and investigate its mechanical behavior using finite ele- ment methods. Background: Quantification of aortic valve deformation during cardiac cycle is essential in understanding normal and pathological valvular function and eventually in the design of valves. We have designed and analyzed a new tissue valve model to investigate the mechanics of the valve and its components. Methods: Steps involves in 3D CAD based geometric modeling of a trileaflet aortic valve and the effects of different component dimensions on the mechanical behavior of valve is presented in this paper. Conceptual designing of individual components was used to build the total geometric model. Different physiological pressures were applied on the valve model and its deformation patterns were studied. Results: A new geometric model of a trileaflet aortic valve was designed. Its mechanical behavior was studied. Geometric analysis and simulation of these models enhanced the designer to optimize the geometry suitable for performance during and after implantation. Conclusion: The geometry-based model presented here allows determining quickly if the new set of valve component dimensions results in a functional valve. This is of great interest to designers of new prosthetic heart valve models, as well as to surgeons involved in valve- sparing surgery.

Gear Drive Mechanism for Continuous Variable Valve Timing of IC Engines

Continuous variable valve actuating (CVVA) technology provides high potential in achieving high performance, low fuel consumption and pollutant reduction. To get full benefits from (CVVT) various types of mechanisms have been proposed and designed. Some of these mechanisms are in production and have shown significant benefits in improving engine performance. In this investigation a newly designed gear drive mechanism that controls the intake valve opening (IVO) and closing (IVC) angles is studied. The control scheme is based on maximizing the engine brake power (P) and specific fuel consumption (BSFC) at any engine speed by continuously varying the phase between the cam shaft angle and the crank shaft angle. A single-cylinder engine is simulated by the “LOTUS” software to find out the optimum phase angle for maximum power and minimum fuel consumption at a given engine speed. The mechanism is a planetary gear drive designed for precise and continuous control. This mechanism has a simple design and operation conditions which can change the phase angle without limitation.

STC100valve数控阀门专用机床设计

针对阀门(闸阀)制造业阀门体的制造工艺要求,作者根据多年设计机床经验开发设计了一种高性能、高效率的数控阀门专用机床,并将模块化设计理念贯穿到专机设计中。该机床在分析市场需求及零件加工工艺的基础上进行设计,将镗床平旋盘技术成功地应用到车床上,可实现阀门行业阀门体零件的一次装夹,多工序复合化加工的要求。样机试制完成后,证明该数控专用机床可以很好地解决阀门加工效率和质量稳定性问题,设计是成功的。

PARAMETERIZED-PROTOTYPE-BASED DYNAMIC OPTIMIZATION DESIGN FOR CAM PROFILE

Aiming at the problems in current cam profile optimization processes, such as simple dynamics models, limited geometric accuracy and low design automatization level, a new dynamic optimization mode is put forward. Based on the parameterization modeling technique of MSC. ADAMS platform, the different steps in current mode are reorganized, thus obtaining an upgraded mode called the ＂parameterized-prototype-based cam profile dynamic optimization mode＂. A parameterized prototype（PP） of valve mechanism is constructed in the course of dynamic optimization for cam profiles. Practically, by utilizing PP and considering the flexibility of the parts in valve mechanism, geometric accuracy and design automatization are improved.

Prosthetic venous valves for chronic venous insufficiency:Advancements and future design directions

With the serious aging population and lifestyle changes,chronic venous insufficiency accounts for approximately 25.95%of the population,which may lead to lower limb edema and leg heaviness,as well as severe infections of skin ulcers that can result in sepsis and necessitate amputation.Conservative treatment and other supportive measures can only slow the disease's progression but are unable to drastically reverse it;surgical interventions are rarely used due to the high risk of catastrophic postoperative consequences.As one of the most promising minimally invasive therapies,percutaneous prosthetic valve replacement has emerged in light of this situation,providing novel alternatives for patients with deep venous valve insufficiency.We reviewed the historical prosthetic venous valve designs,including their structure and materials,animal evaluation models,and assessment criteria.On the basis of the findings from in vitro tests,animal studies,and clinical trials,we summarized the major challenges and potential solutions for the development of advanced prosthetic venous valves.

基于CFDesign和ANSYS的旋启式止回阀动力学分析

针对某旋启式止回阀在工作过程中摇杆断裂的问题,采用CFDesign软件进行流体动力学分析,然后以流体分析结果作为输入条件,在ANSYS软件中Explicit Dynamics模块进行显式动力学分析,最后对原结构进行优化设计并进行计算验证。分析结果表明:在阀门进口流速比较大的情况下,阀瓣和摇杆运动组件会快速撞击阀体限位凸台,从而在摇杆上产生远超过材料许用应力的高应力,导致摇杆断裂;采取增加加强筋并加过渡圆角的措施,可有效提高摇杆的强度。所用方法和分析结论对旋启式止回阀的计算分析和设计优化具有一定的参考价值。

Closed Loop Hydraulic System and Its Effect on Actuator Design

Hydraulic systems provide a clean and stable supply of hydraulic fluid for subsea valves and actuators installed on the subsea bed in subsea production systems.Subsea control systems are used for contemporary subsea fields instead of installing the control system on topside.Although all-electric subsea systems are state-of-the-art with benefits such as health,safety,and environment improvement,as well as efficiency and lower cost,hydraulic systems are still used for the development of many subsea fields.One of the main questions in the selection of a subsea hydraulic field is whether to choose an open or closed loop hydraulic system.The main characteristic of an open loop hydraulic system is that the hydraulic fluid is discharged into the marine environment during the actuation of the subsea valves.Conversely,the hydraulic fluid is returned to the topside facilities through an umbilical system in a closed loop system.Given that closed loop systems are more eco-friendly,the main question in this research is to examine the effect of the actuator connection of the closed loop system on actuator design.Two cases of actuated valves connected to a closed loop system are analyzed in this paper.The first is a 71/16-in.subsea slab gate valve in the pressure class of 517 bar with a linear spring return fail-safe close(FSC)actuator located on a manifold branch.The data indicates that the piston rod and cylinder diameter of the FSC linear actuator should be increased by some millimeters due to the accumulation of hydraulic oil at the bottom of the actuator.The hydraulic oil in the closed loop system helps in closing the actuator and spring force,so the spring constant and torque should be reduced as a result.The second case involves a 16-in.subsea ball valve in the pressure class of 517 bar with a double-acting fail-as-is rack and pinion actuator.The conclusion in this case is to avoid making any change in the design of double-acting actuator in connection to the closed loop system.

基于App Designer的调节阀流量特性校正系统设计

该文针对调节阀工作流量特性的畸变问题,依据期望流量特性和工作流量特性的关系设计了工作流量特性校正算法,在此基础上完成了校正系统上位机和下位机软件设计及系统测试。测试结果表明,该校正系统可方便实现调节阀工作流量特性的校正,且操作简单可靠。

基于Kriging插值代理模型的轴流式止回阀多目标优化

基于Kriging插值代理模型,对轴流式止回阀的各项性能进行综合优化,具体的优化目标为:降低正向流阻;减小阀芯振动;提升止回性能。通过试验设计方案找到影响轴流式止回阀正向流阻的主要结构参数因素,并以其作为优化对象,通过Kriging插值法拟合主要结构参数对应的性能样本点,在保证拟合精度的情况下,使用NSGA-II遗传算法同时对3个主要结构参数进行多目标优化,得到了三目标Pareto前沿,经过权衡不同因素对性能指标的影响大小,最终得到了综合性能最优的结构参数为:阀瓣丰满度系数α_(1)=2.199,阀芯长度L=386.322 mm,阀芯半径R=113.997 mm。其对应的止回阀性能为:正向出口流量Q=161.839 kg/s,正向出口流速v=3.30235 m/s,止回阀进口压力p=97632.2287 Pa。相比优化之前,阀门正向流阻减小了1.2%,阀芯振动降低了0.24%,止回性能提升了2.3%。

平行闸板阀阀座孔加工专用车削刀具设计及实验研究

平行闸板阀被广泛应用在石油钻采配套装备中。采用普通内孔车削刀具加工平行闸板阀阀座孔,需要调头加工,难以使用切削液,并且由于刀杆刚度和硬度较小引起“颤抖”现象,加工工件时不易保证阀座孔的加工质量和形位公差。基于此设计了一套专用车削刀具,增大刀杆的刚度和硬度,方便使用切削液,而且仅需一次装夹,避免掉头加工,以满足阀座孔的形位公差和加工质量要求。采用有限元法对所设计刀具进行了强度校核。通过实验验证,所设计的刀具可以提高加工效率,满足加工质量和形位公差精度要求。