Semester of Graduation

Summer 2022

Degree

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME)

Department

Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Hypothermia is accepted as a method to preserve cells and tissue. Clinical evidence shows that administration of hypothermia could lead to neuroprotection after cardiac arrest. Non-invasive methods such as surface cooling devices, drugs and cold liquid ventilation are available to induce hypothermia. These approaches for achieving hypothermia have not been optimized yet. The surface cooling methods are generally slow and may lead to additional thermal shock to the body. Here, we propose a rapid, selective cooling method for the brain using a micro heat exchanger to cool the cerebrospinal fluids (CSF). We designed and 3D printed a U-type heat exchanger utilizing UV resin as the material for the heat exchanger as it has good mechanical and thermal properties. The heat exchanger has the inlet and outlet at the centre on both ends. There are seven channels for fluid flow and eight fins around the channels. The heat exchanger is placed on a Peltier component to keep the temperature constant across the heat exchanger. A syringe filled with CSF was utilized, which was placed on a syringe pump to provide the fluid at the inlet through the tube connections. To test the heat exchanger's efficiency, an artificial CSF was allowed to flow through it, and the surface and the outlet temperature were captured. Various parameters were optimized, such as the flow rate, the initial CSF temperature at the inlet, the voltage to be supplied to run the Peltier. This report presents theoretical and experimental results for Micro Heat Exchanger. Fluid flow behavior was investigated analytically as well as using a CFD code (ANSYS Fluent). The theoretical results were validated with the experimental results by measuring the surface and fluid temperature of the heat exchanger at specific locations. Overall, we saw a close agreement between the simulated and experimental results for the surface and outlet temperature. The U-type heat exchanger micromodel will improve the understanding of complex flow patterns in 3D and open a new approach for treating brain injuries in humans and animals with small form factors.

Date

7-6-2022

Committee Chair

Manas Ranjan Gartia

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.5612

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