Numerical simulation of Dean number and curvature effects on magneto-biofluid flow through a curved conduit

Proc Inst Mech Eng H. 2013 Nov;227(11):1155-70. doi: 10.1177/0954411913493844. Epub 2013 Jul 30.

Abstract

A numerical study is performed to investigate the magnetohydrodynamic viscous steady biofluid flow through a curved pipe with circular cross section under various conditions. A spectral method is applied as the principal tool for the numerical simulation with Fourier series, Chebyshev polynomials, collocation methods and an iteration method as secondary tools. The combined effects of Dean number, Dn , magnetic parameter, Mg , and tube curvature, δ, are studied. The flow patterns have been shown graphically for large Dean numbers as well as magnetic parameter and a wide range of curvatures, 0.01 ≤δ≤ 0.2. Two-vortex solutions have been found. Axial velocity has been found to increase with an increase of Dean number, whereas it is suppressed with greater curvature and magnetic parameters. For high magnetic parameter and Dean number and low curvature, almost all the fluid vortex strengths are weak. The study is relevant to magnetohydrodynamic blood flow in the cardiovascular system.

Keywords: Dean number; blood flow; curvature; magnetic field; numerical; spectral methods.

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Fourier Analysis
  • Hydrodynamics*
  • Magnetic Fields*
  • Models, Theoretical*