Pulsatile blood flow simulations in aortic arch: Effects of blood pressure and the geometry of arch on wall shear stress

Abstract

Pulsatile blood flow through human aortic arch is an unsteady flow with many complex features that could be analyzed by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations by a certain degree of accuracy. In this work, a number of different geometric models have been created for the human aortic arch with branches included in the model to understand the effects of little geometric distortions in the arch on resulting wall shear stresses. Such distortions might be created due to injuries or diseases. On the other hand, the characteristics of the pressure pulse over the inlet section of the aortic arch have been varied, reflecting various normal or abnormal functions of heart, in order to calculate the associated effects on the wall shear stress distribution along the aortic arch. Here, we have used the computer package of Comsol Multiphysics, which performs the CFD simulations based on the finite element method (FEM). It also enables us for convenient coupling between solid deformation of arterial wall and the blood flow. Blood is assumed a homogeneous, incompressible liquid in our simulations. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.