Abstract
Atherosclerosis is known to be localised in arterial bends, bifurcations and branches. The exact mechanism is not known but it appears that the process starts due to haemodynamic changes. In general, the distribution arteries have relatively symmetrical bifurcations with varying angles and branch trunk area ratios. Several previously studied flow related characteristics were dependent on Reynolds number, angle of bifurcation and area ratios. The time dependence nature of the flow was not included in the above investigations. The equations of continuity and motion for two dimensional, time dependent flow of a homogenous, incompressible fluid through a horizontal, bifurcating rigid channel were therefore solved. The numerical method chosen to solve this problem was the marker and cell (MAC) method, which enabled the two velocity components and the pressure to be obtained directly. According to this system the flow field was divided into cells rather than points according to a prescribed scheme. It was found that a high shear stress zone developed at the daughter’s medial wall while at the lateral wall the fluid tends to follow the pressure gradient and the flow was reversed for part of the cycle. In addition, a high pressure zone which could attain values of twice the input pressure was found on the medial wall.
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Einav, S., Stolero, D. Pulsatile blood flow in an arterial bifurcation: Numerical solution. Med. Biol. Eng. Comput. 25, 12–17 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02442814
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02442814