Modeling fluid flows in distensible tubes for applications in hemodynamics

We present a lattice Boltzmann (LB) model for the simulation of hemodynamic flows in the presence of compliant walls. The new scheme is based on the use of a continuous bounce-back boundary condition, as combined with a dynamic constitutive relation between the flow pressure at the wall and the resulting wall deformation. The method is demonstrated for the case of two-dimensional (axisymmetric) pulsatile flows, showing clear evidence of elastic wave propagation of the wall perturbation in response to the fluid pressure. The extension of the present two-dimensional axisymmetric formulation to more general three-dimensional geometries is currently under investigation. © World Scientific Publishing Company.