Comparative Analysis of Open-Source Finite Element Method Solvers for Computational Fluid Dynamics Performance in a...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Engineering
• Computational Fluid Dynamics
• Biomedical Imaging

Background:

• Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is vital for studying cardiovascular hemodynamics, especially in disease-prone areas like the carotid artery bifurcation.
• Variability in CFD approaches necessitates systematic solver comparisons for reliable blood flow simulations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively evaluate and compare three open-source finite element method (FEM) solvers: SimVascular, FEBio, and FEniCS Oasis.
• To assess solver performance in simulating blood flow within a subject-specific carotid artery model derived from 4D Flow MRI data.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a subject-specific carotid artery model from 4D Flow MRI.
• Compared SimVascular, FEBio, and FEniCS Oasis solvers across various mesh resolutions.
• Analyzed hemodynamic metrics: velocity fields, time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), and wall shear stress (WSS) topology.

Main Results:

• All tested solvers demonstrated comparable accuracy in representing 4D Flow MRI data.
• Solvers consistently identified critical hemodynamic regions, including flow disturbance zones in the carotid sinus.
• Mesh convergence was achieved at relatively lower resolutions by all solvers, with computational time also analyzed.

Conclusions:

• Open-source FEM solvers are capable of high-fidelity hemodynamic predictions in the carotid artery.
• These solvers effectively capture physiologically relevant hemodynamic patterns and identify critical flow regions.
• The study confirms the utility of SimVascular, FEBio, and FEniCS Oasis for cardiovascular research.