scholarly journals Effects of Uncertainty of Outlet Boundary Conditions in a Patient-Specific Case of Aortic Coarctation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Nicole Antonuccio ◽  
Alessandro Mariotti ◽  
Benigno Marco Fanni ◽  
Katia Capellini ◽  
Claudio Capelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Aortic Coarctation ◽  
Volume Flow Rate ◽  
Input Parameter ◽  
Stochastic Approach ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Computational Domain ◽  
Windkessel Model ◽  
Deterministic Simulations

AbstractComputational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of blood flow are widely used to compute a variety of hemodynamic indicators such as velocity, time-varying wall shear stress, pressure drop, and energy losses. One of the major advances of this approach is that it is non-invasive. The accuracy of the cardiovascular simulations depends directly on the level of certainty on input parameters due to the modelling assumptions or computational settings. Physiologically suitable boundary conditions at the inlet and outlet of the computational domain are needed to perform a patient-specific CFD analysis. These conditions are often affected by uncertainties, whose impact can be quantified through a stochastic approach. A methodology based on a full propagation of the uncertainty from clinical data to model results is proposed here. It was possible to estimate the confidence associated with model predictions, differently than by deterministic simulations. We evaluated the effect of using three-element Windkessel models as the outflow boundary conditions of a patient-specific aortic coarctation model. A parameter was introduced to calibrate the resistances of the Windkessel model at the outlets. The generalized Polynomial Chaos method was adopted to perform the stochastic analysis, starting from a few deterministic simulations. Our results show that the uncertainty of the input parameter gave a remarkable variability on the volume flow rate waveform at the systolic peak simulating the conditions before the treatment. The same uncertain parameter had a slighter effect on other quantities of interest, such as the pressure gradient. Furthermore, the results highlight that the fine-tuning of Windkessel resistances is not necessary to simulate the post-stenting scenario.

scholarly journals In Vitro Validation of Finite-Element Model of AAA Hemodynamics Incorporating Realistic Outlet Boundary Conditions

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan O. Kung ◽  
Andrea S. Les ◽  
Francisco Medina ◽  
Ryan B. Wicker ◽  
Michael V. McConnell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Physiological State ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Experimental Measurements ◽  
Windkessel Model ◽  
Measured Velocity ◽  
Good Agreement

The purpose of this study is to validate numerical simulations of flow and pressure in an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) using phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PCMRI) and an in vitro phantom under physiological flow and pressure conditions. We constructed a two-outlet physical flow phantom based on patient imaging data of an AAA and developed a physical Windkessel model to use as outlet boundary conditions. We then acquired PCMRI data in the phantom while it operated under conditions mimicking a resting and a light exercise physiological state. Next, we performed in silico numerical simulations and compared experimentally measured velocities, flows, and pressures in the in vitro phantom to those computed in the in silico simulations. There was a high degree of agreement in all of the pressure and flow waveform shapes and magnitudes between the experimental measurements and simulated results. The average pressures and flow split difference between experiment and simulation were all within 2%. Velocity patterns showed good agreement between experimental measurements and simulated results, especially in the case of whole-cycle averaged comparisons. We demonstrated methods to perform in vitro phantom experiments with physiological flows and pressures, showing good agreement between numerically simulated and experimentally measured velocity fields and pressure waveforms in a complex patient-specific AAA geometry.

Cyclic Breathing Simulations in Large-Scale Models of the Lung Airway From the Oronasal Opening to the Terminal Bronchioles

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Keith Walters ◽  
Greg W. Burgreen ◽  
Robert L. Hester ◽  
David S. Thompson ◽  
David M. Lavallee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Mass Flow ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Computational Domain ◽  
Scale Models ◽  
Fully Coupled ◽  
Conducting Zone

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed using large-scale models of the human lung airway and unsteady periodic breathing conditions. The computational domain included fully coupled representations of the orotracheal region and large conducting zone up to generation four (G4) obtained from patient-specific CT data, and the small conducting zone (to the 16th generation) obtained from a stochastically generated airway tree with statistically realistic morphological characteristics. A reduced-geometry airway model was used, in which several airway branches in each generation were truncated, and only select flow paths were retained to the 16th generation. The inlet and outlet flow boundaries corresponded to the oral opening, the physical inlet/outlet boundaries at the terminal bronchioles, and the unresolved airway boundaries created from the truncation procedure. The total flow rate was specified according to the expected ventilation pattern for a healthy adult male, which was supplied by the whole-body modeling software HumMod. The unsteady mass flow distribution at the distal boundaries was prescribed based on a preliminary steady-state simulation with an applied flow rate equal to the average flow rate during the inhalation phase of the breathing cycle. In contrast to existing studies, this approach allows fully coupled simulation of the entire conducting zone, with no need to specify distal mass flow or pressure boundary conditions a priori, and without the use of impedance or one-dimensional (1D) flow models downstream of the truncated boundaries. The results show that: (1) physiologically realistic flow is obtained in the model, in terms of cyclic mass conservation and approximately uniform pressure distribution in the distal airways; (2) the predicted alveolar pressure is in good agreement with correlated experimental data; and (3) the use of reduced-order geometry modeling allows accurate and efficient simulation of large-scale breathing lung flow, provided care is taken to use a physiologically realistic geometry and to properly address the unsteady boundary conditions.

scholarly journals Computational Modeling of the Liver Arterial Blood Flow for Microsphere Therapy: Effect of Boundary Conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
Amirtahà Taebi ◽  
Rex M. Pillai ◽  
Bahman S. Roudsari ◽  
Catherine T. Vu ◽  
Emilie Roncali
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Hepatic Artery ◽  
Transarterial Embolization ◽  
Arterial Blood Flow ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Computational Domain ◽  
Arterial Tree ◽  
Arterial Blood ◽  
Therapy Effect

Transarterial embolization is a minimally invasive treatment for advanced liver cancer using microspheres loaded with a chemotherapeutic drug or radioactive yttrium-90 (90Y) that are injected into the hepatic arterial tree through a catheter. For personalized treatment, the microsphere distribution in the liver should be optimized through the injection volume and location. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of the blood flow in the hepatic artery can help estimate this distribution if carefully parameterized. An important aspect is the choice of the boundary conditions imposed at the inlet and outlets of the computational domain. In this study, the effect of boundary conditions on the hepatic arterial tree hemodynamics was investigated. The outlet boundary conditions were modeled with three-element Windkessel circuits, representative of the downstream vasculature resistance. Results demonstrated that the downstream vasculature resistance affected the hepatic artery hemodynamics such as the velocity field, the pressure field and the blood flow streamline trajectories. Moreover, the number of microspheres received by the tumor significantly changed (more than 10% of the total injected microspheres) with downstream resistance variations. These findings suggest that patient-specific boundary conditions should be used in order to achieve a more accurate drug distribution estimation with CFD in transarterial embolization treatment planning.

On the Use of In Vivo Measured Flow Rates as Boundary Conditions for Image-Based Hemodynamic Models of the Human Aorta

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Gallo ◽  
Gianluca De Santis ◽  
Federica Negri ◽  
Daniele Tresoldi ◽  
Giovanna Rizzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Rigid Wall ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Human Aorta ◽  
Computational Domain ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Measured Flow

It has been demonstrated that computational fluid dynamics (CFD) have the potential to enhance the comprehension of the role played by hemodynamic factors involved in atherosclerosis. Recently, phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC-MRI) has emerged as an effective tool for providing accurate vascular geometries for CFD simulations and quantitative data on blood flow rates, which can be used to specify realistic boundary conditions (BCs). However, the application of acquired flow waveforms at boundaries is not straightforward, mainly (i) due to possible occurrences of phase shifts and attenuations of outflow with respect to inflow rate and (ii) due to the instantaneous mass conservation constraint, which is required in hemodynamic simulations with rigid wall models, but is not guaranteed in in vivo measurements. As an alternative, new boundary conditions schemes have been developed in an effort to consider the interaction between the computational domain and the upstream/downstream vasculature by coupling through-scale hemodynamic models [1]. However, the identification of the parameters of these simplified vascular models on a subject-specific base involves both pressure and flow rates measurements [2]. In this context, it is clear that the direct application of individual PC-MRI measured flow rates waveforms as BCs in patient-specific simulations should be preferred [3]. In order to overcome the limitations mentioned above, measured flow rates should be combined with stress-free conditions or fixed mass flow ratio (derived from the same set of PC-MRI data) between inlet and multiple outlet sections. However, prescribing different BCs at boundaries can affect the solutions of the equations governing blood flow [1]. For this reason, different strategies in combining outlet BCs could lead to different simulated hemodynamics. This work analyzes the influence of different possible strategies of applying PC-MRI measured flow rates on an image-based hemodynamic model of a healthy human aortic arch with supra-aortic vessels. A total of six flow simulations was carried out applying six different schemes for treating BCs at outlets. Three common wall shear stress (WSS)-based indicators of abnormal flow were considered and the sensitivity of these indicators to the outlet treatment strategy was evaluated.

A Numerical Analysis of the Hemodynamic Functionality of Human Coronary Stenosis Under Different Physiologic Conditions and Boundary Condition Formulations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iyad Fayssal ◽  
Fadl Moukalled
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Condition ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Functional Significance ◽  
Diffusion Flux ◽  
Computational Effort ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Computational Domain ◽  
Artery Disease ◽  
Outflow Boundary

Abstract Coronary artery disease (CAD) is among the foremost causes for human death worldwide. This study aims at investigating the performance of different boundary condition model types to characterize CAD functional significance. In addition, alternate models to estimate FFR using any different combination of boundary conditions at inlet and outlet were analyzed. In the first type of boundary condition, an outflow resistance model is used combined with a fixed pressure at inlet. In the second model of boundary conditions, constant pressure values are imposed at the domain inlet and outlet/s sections. In the third model, a zero diffusion flux is applied at outlet with a pre-specified flow rate at inlet. Numerical simulations performed on healthy and stenosed idealized and physiological arterial models revealed the superiority of the first type of boundary condition to directly capture the level of ischemia in diseased arteries. However, in this model, special numerical treatment at the outflow boundary is needed to dampen pseudo numerical reflections entering the computational domain. Alternative simple methods are developed to tackle the problem incurred in the second and third types of boundary condition types. The alternate models are effective for carrying extensive parametric studies with minimal computational effort. The new developed methods allow results generated via generic simulations under any specified boundary condition type to correctly estimate CAD functional significance. The obtained surrogate models account for the effects of the patient-specific physiologic parameters and can be easily incorporated without modifying existing CFD codes. Moreover, where it is unfeasible to experimentally incorporate the downstream effects of a given diseased arterial segment, an important aspect the alternative models provide is that they can be easily adopted by experimentalists through building in-vitro arterial models to assess the functional significance of the obstruction caused by the disease and its relation to any given patient specific physiologic parameter.

Numerical Analysis of the VAD Outflow Cannula Positioning on the Blood Flow in the Patient–Specific Brain Supplying Arteries

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 619-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zbigniew Tyfa ◽  
Damian Obidowski ◽  
Krzysztof Jóźwik
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Computer Aided Design ◽  
Volume Flow Rate ◽  
Flow Distribution ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Blood Flow Distribution ◽  
Reconstruction Process ◽  
Outflow Cannula ◽  
The Brain

AbstractThe primary objective of this research can be divided into two separate aspects. The first one was to verify whether own software can be treated as a viable source of data for the Computer Aided Design (CAD) modelling and Computational Fluid Dynamics CFD analysis. The second aspect was to analyze the influence of the Ventricle Assist Device (VAD) outflow cannula positioning on the blood flow distribution in the brain-supplying arteries. Patient-specific model was reconstructed basing on the DICOM image sets obtained with the angiographic Computed Tomography. The reconstruction process was performed in the custom-created software, whereas the outflow cannulas were added in the SolidWorks software. Volumetric meshes were generated in the Ansys Mesher module. The transient boundary conditions enabled simulating several full cardiac cycles. Performed investigations focused mainly on volume flow rate, shear stress and velocity distribution. It was proven that custom-created software enhances the processes of the anatomical objects reconstruction. Developed geometrical files are compatible with CAD and CFD software – they can be easily manipulated and modified. Concerning the numerical simulations, several cases with varied positioning of the VAD outflow cannula were analyzed. Obtained results revealed that the location of the VAD outflow cannula has a slight impact on the blood flow distribution among the brain supplying arteries.

scholarly journals The effect of beta-blockers on hemodynamic parameters in patient-specific blood flow simulations of type-B aortic dissection: a virtual study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Amin Abazari ◽  
Deniz Rafieianzab ◽  
M. Soltani ◽  
Mona Alimohammadi
Keyword(s):  
Aortic Dissection ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Beta Blockers ◽  
False Lumen ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Type B ◽  
Windkessel Model ◽  
Computed Tomography Images

AbstractAortic dissection (AD) is one of the fatal and complex conditions. Since there is a lack of a specific treatment guideline for type-B AD, a better understanding of patient-specific hemodynamics and therapy outcomes can potentially control the progression of the disease and aid in the clinical decision-making process. In this work, a patient-specific geometry of type-B AD is reconstructed from computed tomography images, and a numerical simulation using personalised computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with three-element Windkessel model boundary condition at each outlet is implemented. According to the physiological response of beta-blockers to the reduction of left ventricular contractions, three case studies with different heart rates are created. Several hemodynamic features, including time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), highly oscillatory, low magnitude shear (HOLMES), and flow pattern are investigated and compared between each case. Results show that decreasing TAWSS, which is caused by the reduction of the velocity gradient, prevents vessel wall at entry tear from rupture. Additionally, with the increase in HOLMES value at distal false lumen, calcification and plaque formation in the moderate and regular-heart rate cases are successfully controlled. This work demonstrates how CFD methods with non-invasive hemodynamic metrics can be developed to predict the hemodynamic changes before medication or other invasive operations. These consequences can be a powerful framework for clinicians and surgical communities to improve their diagnostic and pre-procedural planning.

Cyclic Breathing Simulations in Large Scale Models of the Lung Airway From the Oronasal Opening to the Terminal Bronchioles

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Keith Walters ◽  
Greg W. Burgreen ◽  
Robert L. Hester ◽  
David S. Thompson ◽  
David M. Lavallee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Cfd Simulations ◽  
Reduced Order ◽  
Scale Models ◽  
Steady State Simulation ◽  
Conducting Zone

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed for unsteady periodic breathing conditions, using large-scale models of the human lung airway. The computational domain included fully coupled representations of the orotracheal region and large conducting zone up to generation four (G4) obtained from patient-specific CT data, and the small conducting zone (to G16) obtained from a stochastically generated airway tree with statistically realistic geometrical characteristics. A reduced-order geometry was used, in which several airway branches in each generation were truncated, and only select flow paths were retained to G16. The inlet and outlet flow boundaries corresponded to the oronasal opening (superior), the inlet/outlet planes in terminal bronchioles (distal), and the unresolved airway boundaries arising from the truncation procedure (intermediate). The cyclic flow was specified according to the predicted ventilation patterns for a healthy adult male at three different activity levels, supplied by the whole-body modeling software HumMod. The CFD simulations were performed using Ansys FLUENT. The mass flow distribution at the distal boundaries was prescribed using a previously documented methodology, in which the percentage of the total flow for each boundary was first determined from a steady-state simulation with an applied flow rate equal to the average during the inhalation phase of the breathing cycle. The distal pressure boundary conditions for the steady-state simulation were set using a stochastic coupling procedure to ensure physiologically realistic flow conditions. The results show that: 1) physiologically realistic flow is obtained in the model, in terms of cyclic mass conservation and approximately uniform pressure distribution in the distal airways; 2) the predicted alveolar pressure is in good agreement with previously documented values; and 3) the use of reduced-order geometry modeling allows accurate and efficient simulation of large-scale breathing lung flow, provided care is taken to use a physiologically realistic geometry and to properly address the unsteady boundary conditions.

Evaluation of Different Turbulence Models Applied in Turbopump’s Hydraulic Turbine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Ferreira Corrêa Barbosa ◽  
Daniel da Silva Tonon ◽  
Luiz Henrique Lindquist Whitacker ◽  
Jesuino Takachi Tomita ◽  
Cleverson Bringhenti
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Turbulence Model ◽  
Rotor Blade ◽  
Space Shuttle ◽  
Turbulence Models ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Speed Ratio ◽  
Computational Domain ◽  
Axial Turbine

Abstract The aim of this work is an evaluation of different turbulence models applied in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques in the turbomachinery area, in this case, in an axial turbine stage used in turbopump (TP) application. The tip clearance region was considered in this study because it has a high influence in turbomachinery performance. In this region, due to its geometry and the relative movement between the rotor row and casing, there are losses associated with vortices and secondary flow making the flowfield even more turbulent and complex. Moreover, the flow that leaks in the tip region does not participate in the energy transfer between the fluid and rotor blades, degradating the machine efficiency and performance. In this work, the usual flat tip rotor blade geometry was considered. The modeling of turbulent flow based on Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations predicts the variation of turbine operational characteristics that is sufficient for the present turbomachine and flow analysis. Therefore, the appropriate choice of the turbulence model for the study of a given flow is essential to obtain adequate results using numerical approximations. This comparison become important due to the fact that there is no general turbulence model for all engineering applications that has fluid and flow. The turbomachine considered in the present work, is the first stage of the hydraulic axial turbine used in the Low Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump (LPOTP) of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), considering the 3.0% tip clearance configuration relative to rotor blade height. The turbulence models evaluated in this work were the SST (Shear Stress Transport), the k-ε Standard and the k-ε RNG. The computational domain was discretized in several control volumes based on unstructured mesh. All the simulations were performed using the commercial software developed by ANSYS, CFX v15.0 (ANSYS). All numerical settings and how the boundary conditions were imposed at different surfaces are explained in the work. The boundary conditions settings follow the same rule used in the test facility and needs some attention during the simulations to vary the Blade-Jet-Speed ratio parameter adequately. The results from numerical simulations, were synthesized and compared with the experimental data published by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in which the turbine efficiency and its jet velocity parameter are analyzed for each turbulence model result. The work fluid considered in this work was water, the same fluid used in the NASA test facility.

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