Open Access

ABSTRACT

Effect of the Reynolds Number on the Flow Pattern in a Stenotic Right Coronary Artery

Biyue Liu¹

1 Department of Mathematics, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ 07764 Office Phone: (732)571-4455, Fax: (732) 263-5378, bliu@monmouth.edu

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences 2007, 1(1), 35-40. https://doi.org/10.3970/icces.2007.001.035

Abstract

It is well known that the Reynolds number has a significant effect on the blood flow in human arteries. We developed a three dimensional model with simplified geometry for a diseased right coronary artery segment to study the influence of the Reynolds number on the flow pattern in a stenotic coronary artery. Computations were carried out under physiological flow conditions to examine how the characteristics of the flow, such as the flow velocity and the pressure drop along the inner wall, change corresponding to the varying of the blood viscosity or to the varying of the mean inlet flow rate. We found that some characteristics, such as the maximum flow shift and the area of flow separation zone, increase as the Reynolds number increases, no matter whether the increase of the Reynolds number is due to a decrease of the blood viscosity or an increase of the inlet flow rate. However the total pressure drop reacts differently as the Reynolds number increases depending on whether it is caused by the change of the blood viscosity or the inlet flow rate.

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