Improved One-Dimensional Model of Blood Flow in the Human Arterial Network, with Application to Cerebral Flow
Date
2016-05
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
A one dimensional model of blood flow in the human arterial system has been reformulated to handle recirculation of blood, a phenomenon that occurs in the cerebral arteries of the brain. This model has also been made modular and the input requirements have been streamlined, thus allowing an easy adaptation to any particular system. Information on blood rheology and the vessel network has been updated to accurately reflect physiological conditions.
Most importantly, an alternate approach to develop and solve the (approximate) governing equations has been successfully implemented. The approach is based on a nonlinear system of hyperbolic equations that are now solved through a specially developed numerical method. This complements the original analytical solution, which requires a linearized version of the problem in order to be applied successfully. By incorporating nonlinear fluid mechanic effects, the new method may be used to validate the previous version, or replace it where the analytical assumptions break down. The results of the two methods on a single test vessel indicate that for low Reynolds numbers both are in agreement, but at high Reynolds numbers small nonlinear inertial effects do exist that create sizeable differences in the outcomes.
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Keywords
chemical engineering, blood flow, one-dimensional model