Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2025
09:39
A Microfluidic Model of Biomimetically Breathing Pulmonary Acinar Airways
Published on: May 9, 2016
8.0K
Pulsatile gas-liquid flow resembling Decompression Sickness: Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation and experimental
Sotiris Evgenidis1, Thodoris Karapantsios2
1Department of Chemical Technology and Industrial Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece. sevgenid@chem.auth.gr.
International Maritime Health
|December 30, 2022
Summary
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations revealed how pulsatile bubbly flow, mimicking Decompression Sickness (DCS), affects blood flow. This research aids in designing experiments for detecting DCS bubbles in blood.
Area of Science:
- Fluid Dynamics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Physiology
Background:
- Decompression Sickness (DCS) involves bubble formation in the bloodstream.
- Understanding pulsatile bubbly flow in the vena cava is crucial for DCS research.
- Current methods require improved experimental designs for bubble detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To simulate pulsatile bubbly flow in a human vena cava model using CFD.
- To investigate the impact of bubble size and flow pulsation on blood flow dynamics.
- To inform the design of in-vitro and in-vivo experiments for DCS bubble detection.
Main Methods:
- Two-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed using ANSYS 2019-R3.
- Simulations modeled pulsatile bubbly flow conditions relevant to Decompression Sickness (DCS).
- CFD results were validated against in-vitro experimental data from a flow loop.
Main Results:
- Pulsatile flow simulations showed intense, periodic void fraction fluctuations.
- Void fraction fluctuation intensity increased with pulsation amplitude.
- Bubble size significantly influenced radial profiles: smaller bubbles (30 μm) resulted in uniform profiles, while larger bubbles (300 μm) showed core-peaking.
Conclusions:
- CFD simulations provided novel insights into sub-millimetre bubble effects on flow dynamics during DCS.
- Findings are expected to enhance the design of in-vitro and in-vivo trials for bubble detection.
- This research supports improved diagnostic strategies for Decompression Sickness.
Related Concept Videos
01:07Laminar and Turbulent Flow
8.7K
Fluid dynamics is the study of fluids in motion. Velocity vectors are often used to illustrate fluid motion in applications like meteorology. For example, wind—the fluid motion of air in the atmosphere—can be represented by vectors indicating the speed and direction of the wind at any given point on a map. Another method for representing fluid motion is a streamline. A streamline represents the path of a small volume of fluid as it flows. When the flow pattern changes with time, the...
8.7K
01:09Turbulent Flow: Problem Solving
171
Carbonation is a process used to dissolve carbon dioxide gas in a liquid, commonly used in the production of carbonated beverages. Achieving efficient carbonation requires careful control of temperature, pressure, and flow conditions. By adjusting these parameters, carbonation efficiency can be maximized, producing a higher concentration of CO2 in the liquid.
Temperature is a key factor in CO2 solubility. In this case, the CO2 gas and the liquid are cooled to 20°C. Lower temperatures...
Temperature is a key factor in CO2 solubility. In this case, the CO2 gas and the liquid are cooled to 20°C. Lower temperatures...
171
01:23Steady, Laminar Flow in Circular Tubes
301
Hagen-Poiseuille flow describes a viscous fluid's steady, incompressible flow through a cylindrical tube with a constant radius R. This flow profile is often applied to understand fluid transport in narrow channels, such as capillaries. It serves as a foundational example of laminar flow. In this model, cylindrical coordinates (r,θ,z) are used to describe the radial (r), angular (θ), and axial (z) dimensions within the tube. For Hagen-Poiseuille flow, the velocity profile is...
301
01:30Typical Model Studies
417
Fluid mechanics model studies often utilize scaled-down systems to predict fluid behavior in full-scale environments, such as river flows, dam spillways, and structures interacting with open surfaces. Maintaining Froude number similarity in river models is crucial, as it replicates surface flow features like wave patterns and velocities.
417
01:11Pressure Variation in a Fluid at Rest
336
In a fluid at rest, the pressure at any point beneath the fluid surface depends solely on the depth, not on the container's shape or size. This principle, known as hydrostatic pressure, arises because, in stationary fluids, there is no acceleration, meaning the forces within the fluid balance out. Only vertical forces, caused by the weight of the fluid above, contribute to pressure changes with depth.
When measuring pressure at two different levels within the fluid, the difference in...
When measuring pressure at two different levels within the fluid, the difference in...
336
01:22Couette Flow
376
Couette flow represents the flow of fluid between two parallel plates, with one plate fixed and the other moving with a constant velocity. This configuration allows for a simplified analysis using the Navier-Stokes equations, which govern fluid motion under conditions of viscosity and incompressibility. For Couette flow, the assumptions include a steady, laminar, incompressible flow with a zero-pressure gradient in the flow direction. This flow type is beneficial for understanding shear-driven...
376