Finite element simulation of pulsatile flow through arterial stenosis

Area of Science:

• Fluid dynamics
• Biomedical engineering
• Computational science

Background:

• Blood flow through arterial stenosis is a critical factor in cardiovascular diseases.
• Accurate modeling of stenotic blood flow is essential for diagnosis and treatment planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To solve the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations for blood flow through a rigid circular tube with partial occlusion.
• To analyze the effects of varying stenosis parameters and flow conditions on blood flow dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Galerkin finite element method for solving the Navier-Stokes equations.
• Employed a predictor-corrector technique with a variable time step for time marching.
• Conducted computational experiments for both steady and physiological pulsatile flows.

Main Results:

• Obtained results for steady and physiological pulsatile blood flow through stenosed tubes.
• Analyzed the influence of stenosis degree, stricture length, Reynolds number, and Womersley number.
• Demonstrated good agreement with previous steady flow computations and experimental findings for both steady and pulsatile flows.

Conclusions:

• The developed computational fluid dynamics method accurately simulates blood flow through arterial stenosis.
• The study provides a validated tool for analyzing hemodynamic changes in stenotic arteries.
• Findings support the use of this method for further research in cardiovascular fluid dynamics.