Numerical investigations of pulsatile flow in stenosed artery

Abnormalities in blood vessels by virtue of complex blood flow dynamics is being supported by non-Newtonian behavior of blood. Thus it becomes a focus of research to most of the researchers. Additionally, consideration of real life patient specific model of vessel as well as patient specific inlet flow boundary condition implementation was limited in literature. Thus a thorough implementation of these considerations was done here.

In this work, a numerical investigation of hemodynamic flow in stenosed artery has been carried out with realistic pulsating profile at the inlet. Flow has been considered to be laminar due to arresting condition of cardiovascular state of the subject. Two non- Newtonian rheological models namely, Power Law viscosity model and Quemada viscosity model have been used. Two different patient- specific pulsatile profiles are considered at the inlet of a long stenosed artery with varying degree of stenoses from 25% to 80%.

Transient form of Navier-Stokes equation is solved in an axi-symmetric domain to calculate the detailed flow structure of the flow field. From the simulation data, temporal and time averaged wall shear stress, oscillatory shear index and pressure drop are calculated.

The results demonstrate that oscillatory shear index and wall shear stresses are extensively governed by the degree of stenoses. The position and movement of recirculation bubbles are found to vary with flow Reynolds number.