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Turbulence in the Cardiovascular System: Aortic Aneurysm as an Illustrative Example

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Computational Cardiovascular Mechanics

Abstract

Turbulence is a fluid regime characterized by chaotic and stochastic changes of flow. The onset of turbulence can occur under disease conditions and is known to have adverse effects on the function of the cardiovascular (CV) system. This chapter outlines the basic features of turbulence in the CV system. As a specific example, simulation of turbulent flow in an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is presented. The simulated results show that transition to turbulence occurs in large aneurysms with high Reynolds number. Onset of turbulence is seen to drastically change the distribution of wall shear stress and fluid pressure. The general implications are enumerated.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, University of California and San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Liang Ge

  2. Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, 47906, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    G.S. Kassab

  3. Department of Biomedical Engineering Department of Surgery Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology Indiana Center for Vascular Biology and Medicine, IUPUI, 46202, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    G.S. Kassab

Authors
  1. Liang Ge
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  2. G.S. Kassab
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, Clement St. 4150, San Francisco, 94121, U.S.A.

    Julius M. Guccione

  2. Purdue University Indianapolis, Indiana University, Barnhill Drive 635, Indianapolis, 46202, U.S.A.

    Ghassan S. Kassab

  3. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, Clement St. 4150, San Francisco, 94121, U.S.A.

    Mark B. Ratcliffe

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Ge, L., Kassab, G. (2010). Turbulence in the Cardiovascular System: Aortic Aneurysm as an Illustrative Example. In: Guccione, J., Kassab, G., Ratcliffe, M. (eds) Computational Cardiovascular Mechanics. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0730-1_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0730-1_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-0729-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-0730-1

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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