Design of a Motor-Torsion Driven 3D-Printed Left Ventricular Mock Circulation System and Hemocompatibility Assessment
In vitro testing of ventricular assist devices, constructing a mock circulation system that reproduces physiological cardiac function, is critical. However, current ventricular simulators often lack biomimetic fidelity and may introduce hemolysis and coagulation risks during prolonged operation, affecting hemocompatibility assessment. This study proposes a motor-driven torsional 3D-printed left ventricular simulator to reconstruct the hemodynamics of severe heart failure and related pathological conditions. The system integrates a 3D-printed elastic ventricular model with programmable torsional actuation, allowing the simulation of various cardiac conditions by adjusting the motor torsion angle and rotational speed, peripheral resistance and compliance. Fresh porcine blood was circulated for 4 h in a closed-loop system, with periodic measurements of plasma-free hemoglobin (PfHb), thrombin–antithrombin complex (TAT), and P-selectin. The results show that the system successfully reproduces typical hemodynamic features of severe heart failure, while hemolysis and coagulation markers remain low. After 4 h, PfHb was below 20 mg/dL, with no significant platelet activation or thrombosis. This study demonstrates that the proposed system enhances biomimicry while maintaining excellent hemocompatibility, offering a reliable platform for in vitro performance and safety evaluation of ventricular assist devices.
- Conference Article
17
- 10.1109/isspa.2010.5605587
- May 1, 2010
Brush-commutated small DC motors are widely used because they are cheap and easy to run. In controlling speed of such motors, estimation of rotational speed without sensors are required. In this study, a method to estimate the rotational speed is proposed, based on the fact that rotational speed of this motor is proportional to the fundamental frequency of the ripple component on the supply current of the DC motor. In the proposed method, an adaptive line enhancer (ALE) is used, and is modified to obtain the fundamental frequency of the ripple current. In the modified ALE, a solution using a lowpass filter is proposed and it is confirmed that the variance of the parameters of ALE can be reduced and rotational speed of the DC motor can be estimated.
- Conference Article
3
- 10.1109/acc.2008.4586598
- Jun 1, 2008
A mock circulatory system (MCS) integrated with the baroreceptor reflex, a neurological function that regulates the mean systemic arterial pressure (P <inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">sa</inf> ) by adjusting heart rate, ventricular contractility, and systemic resistance through negative feedback, was developed to simulate the key hemodynamic variables in response to various physiological load changes. The MCS consists of two compliance chambers representing the left atrium and systemic artery, a proportional valve as a variable resistor mimicking the systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and a centrifugal pump as a current source simulating the pumping mechanism of the heart. The model of the baroreceptor reflex was implemented in software to generate the reference signals of the cardiac output (CO) and SVR. These two reference signals along with the models of the centrifugal pump and the proportional valve were used to control the rotational speed of the pump and the gap of the valve such that the desired CO and SVR can be reached. Performance of the MCS was tested under different cardiovascular demand levels from resting to heavy exercise. The test results show that this simple MCS was able to simulate the response of key hemodynamic variables comparable to the same variables produced by a complex model from a computer simulation. The MCS performed well in simulating the hemodynamic variables under resting and mild exercise conditions. This novel MCS implementation provides a much more physiological meaningful tool comparing with existing MCS. It is a valuable asset for studying the physiology of the circulation, for heart assist devices testing, and for bioengineering education.
- Research Article
25
- 10.1097/mat.0b013e3181739b70
- May 1, 2008
- ASAIO Journal
We developed a mock circulatory loop and used mathematical modeling to test the in vitro performance of a physiologic flow control system for a total artificial heart (TAH). The TAH was constructed from two continuous flow pumps. The objective of the control system was to maintain loop flow constant in response to changes in outflow resistance of either pump. Baseline outflow resistances of the right (pulmonary vascular resistance) and the left (systemic vascular resistance) pumps were set at 2 and 18 Wood units, respectively. The corresponding circuit flow was 4 L/min. The control system consisted of two digital integral controllers, each regulating the voltage, hence, the rotational speed of one of the pumps. The in vitro performance of the flow control system was validated by increasing systemic and pulmonary vascular resistances in the mock loop by 4 and 8 Wood units (simulating systemic and pulmonary hypertension conditions), respectively. For these simulated hypertensive states, the flow controllers regulated circuit flow back to 4 L/min within seconds by automatically adjusting the rotational speed of either or both pumps. We conclude that this multivariable feedback mechanism may constitute an adequate supplement to the inherent pressure sensitivity of rotary blood pumps for the automatic flow control and left-right flow balance of a dual continuous flow pump TAH system.
- Research Article
32
- 10.1111/aor.12809
- Dec 7, 2016
- Artificial Organs
A realistic mock circulatory system (MCS) could be a valuable in vitro testbed to study human circulatory hemodynamics. The objective of this study was to design a MCS replicating the pulmonary arterial circulation, incorporating an anatomically representative arterial model suitable for testing clinically relevant scenarios. A second objective of the study was to ensure the system's compatibility with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for additional measurements. A latex pulmonary arterial model with two generations of bifurcations was manufactured starting from a 3D-printed mold reconstructed from patient data. The model was incorporated into a MCS for in vitro hydrodynamic measurements. The setup was tested under physiological pulsatile flow conditions and results were evaluated using wave intensity analysis (WIA) to investigate waves traveling in the arterial system. Increased pulmonary vascular resistance (IPVR) was simulated as an example of one pathological scenario. Flow split between right and left pulmonary artery was found to be realistic (54 and 46%, respectively). No substantial difference in pressure waveform was observed throughout the various generations of bifurcations. Based on WIA, three main waves were identified in the main pulmonary artery (MPA), that is, forward compression wave, backward compression wave, and forward expansion wave. For IPVR, a rise in mean pressure was recorded in the MPA, within the clinical range of pulmonary arterial hypertension. The feasibility of using the MCS in the MRI scanner was demonstrated with the MCS running 2 h consecutively while acquiring preliminary MRI data. This study shows the development and verification of a pulmonary MCS, including an anatomically correct, compliant latex phantom. The setup can be useful to explore a wide range of hemodynamic questions, including the development of patient- and pathology-specific models, considering the ease and low cost of producing rapid prototyping molds, and the versatility of the setup for invasive and noninvasive (i.e., MRI) measurements.
- Research Article
1
- 10.1111/aor.15051
- Jul 12, 2025
- Artificial organs
Ex vivo heart perfusion (EVHP) is a promising approach for preserving donor hearts in a near-physiological state. However, the perfusion pressure and flow require adjustment to meet the requirements of aerobic metabolism, which may cause hemolysis and coagulation, consequently impairing myocardial function. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of transient control performance of pulsatile flow on hemolysis and coagulation in EVHP. Fresh porcine blood was circulated for 4 h in a mock loop equipped with a pulsatile pump and a self-designed compliant chamber, operating under conditions of a mean flow rate of 1 L/min and a mean pressure of 75 mmHg. Two typical proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control responses (underdamped response and overdamped response) were implemented to compare the impact of transient performance on hemolysis and coagulation. Blood samples were collected from the invitro loop and analyzed for plasma free hemoglobin (PfHb), thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) and P-selectin levels. The experimental results demonstrated that the transient control performance of pulsatile flow had a significant impact on hemolysis and coagulation as circulation time increased. Compared to the overdamped response, the underdamped response resulted in more hemolysis and a higher risk of thrombosis. However, both the overdamped response and the underdamped response exhibited comparable levels of platelet activation. During the control process of EVHP, frequent adjustments of perfusion pressure and flow should be minimized. Additionally, oscillations and overshoots in transient responses should be avoided to reduce hemolysis and thrombosis.
- Research Article
19
- 10.1109/tbme.1972.324157
- Jan 1, 1972
- IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering
A mock circulatory system (MCS) was constructed for testing intra-aortic balloon (IAB) temporary heart-assist devices. The MCS consists of a left heart analog, compliant arteries, peripheral resistance, and venous return. Design objectives and operating characteristics of the MCS are presented. The results of a number of studies to determine the effectiveness of intra-aortic balloon devices under conditions of simulated cardiogenic shock are reported.
- Research Article
1
- 10.5829/idosi.ije.2016.29.05b.16
- May 1, 2016
- International Journal of Engineering
Nowadays, piezoelectric materials have wide applications in various industries. Therefore, investigation of these materials and their applications has a special importance. In this paper first, the natural frequencies of a traveling-wave piezoelectric motor are achieved, using finite elements simulations. Then, applying an alternative electrical voltage to the piezoelectric ring, a traveling wave is generated in the stator, and the stability, damping effects, and characteristics of the traveling wave are studied. Additionally, the output torque and rotational speed of the motor are obtained and validated by experimental values. Finally, the stator diameter is increased and its effects on the output torque and rotational speed are inspected. The results reveal that the output torque and maximum rotational speed of the enlarged motor respectively increases and decreases.
- Research Article
3
- 10.1007/s10047-015-0880-7
- Jan 13, 2016
- Journal of artificial organs : the official journal of the Japanese Society for Artificial Organs
Recently, driving methods for synchronizing ventricular assist devices (VADs) with heart rhythm of patients suffering from severe heart failure have been receiving attention. Most of the conventional methods require implanting a sensor for measurement of a signal, such as electrocardiogram, to achieve synchronization. In general, implanting sensors into the cardiovascular system of the patients is undesirable in clinical situations. The objective of this study was to extract the heartbeat component without any additional sensors, and to synchronize the rotational speed of the VAD with this component. Although signals from the VAD such as the consumption current and the rotational speed are affected by heartbeat, these raw signals cannot be utilized directly in the heartbeat synchronization control methods because they are changed by not only the effect of heartbeat but also the change in the rotational speed itself. In this study, a nonlinear kernel regression model was adopted to estimate the instantaneous rotational speed from the raw signals. The heartbeat component was extracted by computing the estimation error of the model with parameters determined by using the signals when there was no effect of heartbeat. Validations were conducted on a mock circulatory system, and the heartbeat component was extracted well by the proposed method. Also, heartbeat synchronization control was achieved without any additional sensors in the test environment.
- Research Article
3
- 10.1002/ejhf.1022
- Oct 19, 2017
- European Journal of Heart Failure
This article refers to ‘Pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease: analysis of survival according to the haemodynamic classification of the 2015 ESC/ERS guidelines and insights for future changes’ by M. Palazzini et al., published in this issue on pages 248–255. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common condition, affecting approximately 10% of the elderly population.1 Left heart disease (LHD) by far represents the most common cause of PH.1, 2 In fact, the majority of patients with LHD have some degree of PH,2, 3 and several studies have shown that any degree of PH impacts morbidity and mortality in patients with various forms of LHD, including heart failure and valvular disease.2, 3 Despite the clinical importance of PH in these patients, our understanding of the range of pulmonary vascular responses to LHD remains very limited. From a pathophysiological point of view, PH caused by LHD initially results from pulmonary congestion and backward transmission of elevated left-sided filling pressure [commonly measured as pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP)], which causes post-capillary PH. However, over time, some patients may develop additional pulmonary vascular disease (PVD), thereby adding a pre-capillary component to their PH2, 3 which may be associated with a worse outcome but may represent a potentially treatable target. How PVD in patients with LHD can be best defined and diagnosed remains a matter of debate. Based on the recommendations of the Fifth World Symposium on PH,3 the 2015 European PH guidelines proposed that post-capillary PH be subclassified into ‘isolated post-capillary PH’ (Ipc-PH) and ‘combined post- and pre-capillary PH’ (Cpc-PH).4 The distinction between these entities is based on two haemodynamic criteria: the diastolic pressure gradient (DPG), defined by the difference between diastolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and PAWP, and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), calculated as the difference between mean PAP and PAWP divided by cardiac output (CO). This definition of Cpc-PH was recently challenged by several studies with findings that have stimulated discussions among experts. In particular, the role of the DPG in predicting survival in PH-LHD as shown by some groups5-7 is subject to controversy as the analyses of other cohorts have failed to show the prognostic value of this variable.8-11 In this issue of the Journal, Palazzini et al. add another piece to the puzzle.12 They present a retrospective, single-centre analysis of 276 patients with LHD who underwent invasive haemodynamic assessment between 1997 and 2015, in whom post-capillary PH (mean PAP ≥25 mmHg; mean PAWP >15 mmHg) was diagnosed. According to current guidelines,4 the authors defined a group of patients with Cpc-PH [DPG ≥7 mmHg, PVR >3 Wood units (WU)], a group with Ipc-PH (DPG <7 mmHg; PVR ≤3 WU), and an ‘intermediate’ group in which only one of the two variables was elevated. They then estimated survival rates in the three groups using the Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test with the aim of elucidating the prognostic values of PVR and DPG alone and in combination, as well as those of other haemodynamic indices. They found that patients with Ipc-PH had better survival than both patients with Cpc-PH (P = 0.026) and those in the intermediate group (P = 0.025). Furthermore, although patients with normal PVR had better survival compared with those with elevated PVR (P = 0.013), there were no differences in survival according to the level of DPG (P = 0.254) or level of transpulmonary pressure gradient (TPG; defined as the difference between mean PAP and PAWP) (P = 0.147). The authors also showed that, in addition to PVR, pulmonary arterial compliance (PAC), calculated as stroke volume divided by pulse pressure (difference between systolic and diastolic PAP), was also predictive of survival. In fact, a low PAC turned out to be the strongest predictor of death when analysed as a continuous variable (P = 0.001).12 These data must be interpreted in relation to the findings of a number of other studies that have assessed the prognostic values of haemodynamic variables in PH-LHD and unfortunately yielded quite heterogeneous results5-14 (Table 1). The distinct and in part contradictory findings may be explained by differences in methodology, definitions and threshold levels,2, 3 lack of standardization for optimized LHD treatment and volume load, as well as the fact that some studies investigated PH caused by LHD in general, whereas others focused on specific LHDs [i.e. heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), valvular disease] at various stages.5-14 Moreover, the potential bias induced by the retrospective nature of most studies must be acknowledged. Despite these limitations, we may conclude that the overall amount and quality of available data are insufficient to support any judgements on the prognostic value of haemodynamic variables in PH-LHD. Nevertheless, the fog may be lifting as we collect more data, and the work by Palazzini et al.12 adds important information. Firstly, it shows that a substantial number of patients with LHD and PH display an elevated PVR, which may or may not be associated with an increased DPG, whereas an isolated elevation of the DPG with normal PVR appears to be very rare, which is consistent with the findings of other groups.15 Secondly, the subgrouping of post-capillary PH into Ipc-PH and Cpc-PH predicted survival in patients with PH-LHD, which is also in line with the results of several other studies.5-7, 9-14 Thirdly, the ‘intermediate’ group was mainly driven by elevated PVR with normal DPG, and outcomes in this group did not differ from those in the group with Cpc-PH (i.e. elevated levels of PVR and DPG). Fourthly, pressure gradients (i.e. DPG, TPG) appeared to be of minor importance, whereas variables incorporating cardiac function (i.e. PVR, PAC) were superior in predicting outcome in PH-LHD, which is consistent with the majority of recent studies.8-11 The main limitations of the study by Palazzini et al.,12 as well as of most other studies evaluating the role of pulmonary vascular indices for predicting survival in patients with LHD,5-11 concern the limited numbers of patients in many of the studies, the single-centre approach and the retrospective nature of the analyses. Furthermore, most studies have grouped together all types of LHD on the assumption that the consequences on pulmonary haemodynamics and right ventricular (RV)–pulmonary artery (PA) coupling are the same for various types and degrees of heart failure (HFpEF, HF with mid-range EF, HFrEF) and valvular disease (mitral stenosis/mitral regurgitation, aortic stenosis/aortic regurgitation), or other left heart conditions. However, this may not be the case. Hence, the available evidence remains limited and the existing data should be interpreted with caution. The heterogeneity of published data and the uncertainty about the diagnostic and/or prognostic value of single haemodynamic indices raise two key questions. Firstly, do we need a subclassification of PH-LHD and, if so, why? Given that the presence of PH and particularly a pre-capillary component of PH as well as impaired RV–PA coupling are associated with adverse outcomes, this question must be answered in the affirmative. However, future adjustments of the classification must be more precise about the diagnostic vs. the prognostic value of haemodynamic measures (which are certainly not the same), as improvement of our pathophysiological understanding and proper risk stratification in PH-LHD are warranted. Current work provides novel insights into the clinical, genetic and pathophysiological features of Ipc-PH vs. Cpc-PH.11, 16 The key question concerns whether we can improve morbidity and mortality in selected patients with PH-LHD by targeting the pulmonary circulation and unloading the right ventricle. To this end, we have preliminary evidence at best.17-19 Secondly, based on pathophysiological considerations, which pulmonary vascular indices would be expected to indicate PVD and a higher likelihood of death? The pathophysiological interplay between the left heart, pulmonary circulation and right heart is well established.2 Indeed, several studies have shown that RV dysfunction is a strong and independent predictor of survival in patients with heart failure.20-22 Furthermore, impaired RV–PA coupling appears to be of particular importance to outcomes in HFpEF,23 especially in patients with Cpc-PH.24 It should be noted that RV workload is defined by pressures, rather than gradients, and that the adaptation of the right ventricle to an increased afterload is of key importance.25 In that sense, RV afterload is composed of a steady (PVR) and a pulsatile (PAC) vascular load. Consistently, in several recent studies PVR and PAC outperformed the DPG in predicting mortality10, 12, 13 and, hence, PVD in LHD may be best defined by measures incorporating RV function (i.e. PVR, PAC).25 This claim, however, must be confirmed in larger trials. Furthermore, our current understanding and the classification of PH-LHD are based mainly on haemodynamics at rest, whereas impaired RV–PA coupling during moderate exercise is detected even in early stages of HFpEF,26 and the increase in CO during exercise rather than CO at rest may be more relevant.27 In this context, an abnormal pulmonary haemodynamic response during exercise is characterized by an excessive increase of PAP in relation to flow, and a currently proposed definition of ‘exercise PH’ is based on the relationship between Δmean PAP and ΔCO.28 In summary, the current classification of PH-LHD needs to be refined and measures should be indicative of PVD, RV dysfunction and RV–PA coupling at rest and potentially during exercise, so that a combination of variables rather than a single parameter may be suitable for proper haemodynamic phenotyping. In 2018, the Sixth World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension will be held in Nice, France; it will be a challenging goal to summarize current knowledge and adjust definitions in preparation for this. The current evidence is incomplete, preliminary in nature rather than definite, and partly contradictory. Hence, the belief that we are close to making conclusions may be illusory. As Palazzini et al.12 point out, what we need are prospective, multicentre, adequately sized studies with pre-specified endpoints, inclusion criteria, subgroup definitions and uniform baseline assessments and follow-up strategies. Such studies should be based on our pathophysiological understanding and subclassification of PH-LHD, and conducted separately in patients with specific underlying LHDs. The final answers may come from therapeutic interventions, which may or may not be safe and efficacious in distinct subgroups of patients with PH attributable to LHD. Only then will we be ready to draw conclusions. Conflict of interest: none declared.
- Research Article
- 10.35912/jatra.v1i2.3157
- Jul 16, 2024
- Jurnal Teknologi Riset Terapan
Purpose: To determine the regulation of the rotation speed of a DC motor using an NE 555 type IC and by providing a stable voltage with the same working frequency but varying DC motor speed control pulse cycles. Methodology: This research method includes several stages, the stages in the research are as follows: The data required is the specifications of each component and the specifications of the hardware design to be made. The selection of tools and materials used must be in accordance with what is expected for setting and controlling the speed of a DC motor Result: The effect of the armature current (Ia) on the rotation speed of the motor is directly proportional; that is, the greater the rotation speed of the series self-amplifying DC motor. Contribution: This study can provide practical insight into how to implement DC motor speed adjustment in various applications, such as in the fields of automation, robotics, and other small control systems. This may help readers who wish to apply the techniques taught in their projects. Limitations: Dependence on specific ICs: Focusing on the use of the NE 555 IC may limit the understanding of other alternatives that may be more suitable or efficient for certain applications. This article could be better if it includes a comparison with other available methods or ICs.
- Book Chapter
1
- 10.1007/978-4-431-65921-1_64
- Jan 1, 1998
A new vascular resistance based adaptive controller has been developed. A primary function of this controller is automatic adaptation for changes in cardiovascular dynamics with time, or for variation among individuals. Experiments were executed in a mock circulatory system. These experiments revealed that the proposed control system was able to automatically adjust cardiac output to maintain aortic pressure in accordance with artificial changes in peripheral vascular resistance.
- Research Article
- 10.1016/s1474-6670(17)43014-x
- Jul 1, 1997
- IFAC Proceedings Volumes
Identification and Adaptive Control of Cardiovascular System Driven by a Total Artificial Heart
- Conference Article
11
- 10.1109/fareastcon50210.2020.9271308
- Oct 6, 2020
Minimizing energy costs in mechanized oil production is an urgent task. One of the ways to solve it is to determine the optimum voltage level in the power center of the oil field. Voltage regulation at the stator windings of a submersible electric motor leads to a change in the rotation speed and, as a result, to a change in the consumed active and reactive power. In turn, power consumption has an impact on losses in overhead and cable lines and transformers. Therefore, in the tasks of determining the optimal voltage in the power center of the oil field, it is important to accurately calculate the rotation speed of an induction motor with varying stator voltage. In the article an analytical solution is found, which allows calculating the rotation speed of a submersible induction motor with a small error, taking into account the characteristics of the load in the form of a centrifugal pump. It is proposed to linearize the differential equations of an induction motor and find its transfer coefficient with respect to the change in the in the value of the phase voltage. The speed calculation is based on dividing the speed drop by two components. The first component is the drop in speed under the load, and the second is under the influence of changes in supply voltage. This approach allowed us to obtain a quadratic equation relating the rotation speed of a submersible motor with the parameters of the motor and centrifugal pump, as well as with a change in the magnitude of the phase voltage. As a result, an analytical expression is obtained that allows calculating the rotation speed of a submersible motor with a high degree of accuracy, and the calculation error does not exceed 0.3% of the real value. The application of the obtained formula greatly simplifies the creation of a software product for determining the optimal voltage in the power center of the oil field, since it allows one to refuse to solve a large number of nonlinear differential equations of induction motors.
- Research Article
25
- 10.1097/01.mat.0000176139.01152.5b
- Sep 1, 2005
- ASAIO Journal
In this study, a seal-less, tiny centrifugal rotary blood pump was designed for low-flow circulatory support in children and infants. The design was targeted to yield a compact and priming volume of 5 ml with a flow rate of 0.5-4 l/min against a head pressure of 40-100 mm Hg. To meet the design requirements, the first prototype had an impeller diameter of 30 mm with six straight vanes. The impeller was supported with a needle-type hydrodynamic bearing and was driven with a six-pole radial magnetic driver. The external pump dimensions included a pump head height of 20 mm, diameter of 49 mm, and priming volume of 5 ml. The weight was 150 g, including the motor driver. In the mock circulatory loop, using fresh porcine blood, the pump yielded a flow of 0.5-4.0 l/min against a head pressure of 40-100 mm Hg at a rotational speed of 1800-4000 rpm using 1/4" inflow and outflow conduits. The maximum flow and head pressure of 5.25 l/min and 244 mm Hg, respectively, were obtained at a rotational speed of 4400 rpm. The maximum electrical-to-hydraulic efficiency occurred at a flow rate of 1.5-3.5 l/min and at a rotational speed of 2000-4400 rpm. The normalized index of hemolysis, which was evaluated using fresh porcine blood, was 0.0076 g/100 l with the impeller in the down-mode and a bearing clearance of 0.1 mm. Further refinement in the bearing and magnetic coupler are required to improve the hemolytic performance of the pump. The durability of the needle-type hydrodynamic bearing and antithrombotic performance of the pump will be performed before clinical applications. The tiny centrifugal blood pump meets the flow requirements necessary to support the circulation of pediatric patients.
- Preprint Article
- 10.5194/epsc-dps2025-671
- Jul 9, 2025
Many celestial bodies in our Solar System, such as the Moon, Mars and small bodies, are covered with a layer of regolith. Numerous current and upcoming space missions aim to interact with these surfaces such as the IDEFIX rover of the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission [1] and the Hera mission [2]. Some instruments, such as the instrument InSight HP³ mole, have even failed to perform as expected [3], highlighting the importance of understanding the geotechnical behavior of regolith surfaces. Due to the limited accessibility and high cost of in situ missions, laboratory experiments using regolith simulants are crucial for the preparation of surface operations like landing, mobility, and sampling. Different extraterrestrials simulants have been developed and characterized regarding the mineralogical, granulometric and some geotechnical properties [e.g., 4-7]. Here we present the results of additional characterisation experiments focussing on the dynamic angle of repose and the cohesive properties of the simulants. A rotating drum experiment has been developed to measure bulk properties of different planetary simulants in low consolidation conditions. The setup is presented in Figure 1. The simulant is placed in a cylinder container of 4 cm diameter and 5 cm depth so that the container is half full with the granular material. Two PMMA windows are mounted on the front and back of the container, to be able to see through the system. The sample container is attached to a drive shaft which allows it to rotate around its axis. A CCD camera (mvBlueFox-120aG) is fixed facing the front window to image the granular material. An LED panel illuminates the experiment from behind allowing a shadometry image analysis to be performed. The rotational speed of the motor is controlled by an Arduino card. The gear ratio between the motor and the container allows it to rotate between 10 and 70 rotations per minute (RPM).Figure 1: The rotating drum experiment at ISAE-SUPAERO.The motor rotational speed is varied and 10 images are taken for each speed with a frame rate of 20 Hz. A binarization of the image is performed followed by an edge detection which automatically detects the surface of the material. This process is shown in Figure 2 for glass beads at two different rotational speeds. It is performed on the 10 images, and for each rotational speed, as illustrated in Figure 3.Figure 2: Surface detection for glass beads at two different rotational speeds.Figure 3: Surface profiles for 10 images at different rotational speeds for glass beads.By measuring the surface slope close to the center of the drum, the dynamic angle of repose for each rotational speed can be determined. This result is presented in Figure 4 for three different granular materials: quartz sand with a mean particle diameter of 500 µm, glass beads with a diameter between 90 and 150 µm and Mars Global (MGS-1) High-Fidelity Martian Regolith Simulant. Figure 4: Dynamic angle of repose as a function of the rotational speed. The error bars represent the standard deviation of the angle of repose measured in 10 different images at each rotation speed.This experimental set-up also allows for a characterisation of the cohesive properties of the granular material. The rugosity of the surface at each rotational speed can be used to compute the cohesive index, an adimensional number directly linked to the total cohesive force [8]. This gives a comparative measurement of the cohesion of the different simulants.In summary, we have developed a rotating drum experiment to characterise different planetary simulants. Two main material parameters can be extracted: a cohesive index, which is an adimensional number directly linked to the total cohesive forces, and the dynamic angle of repose. The set-up has already been tested with three different materials (glass beads, quartz sand and Mars Global (MGS-1) High-Fidelity Martian Regolith Simulant). The results of the rotating drum characterisation of the Exolith planetary simulants - Lunar Highlands (LHS-1) High-Fidelity Regolith Simulant, Lunar Mare (LMS-1) High-Fidelity Regolith Simulant, Carbonaceous Chondrite (CI-E) High-Fidelity Asteroid Regolith Simulant and Carbonaceous Chondrite (CM-E) High-Fidelity Asteroid Regolith Simulant - will be presented during the conference.
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