A Two-Dimensional Model of Particle Motion in Ureteral Peristaltic Flow

Abstract

Physiological fluids in human or animals are, in general, propelled by the continuous periodic muscular contraction or expansion (or both) of the ducts through which the fluids pass, a phenomenon known as peristalsis. Peristaltic mechanisms may be involved in the swallowing of food through the esophagus, vasomotion of small blood vessels, spermatic flows in the ductus efferentes, embryo transport in the uterus, and transport of urine through the ureters, among others [1]. Peristaltic fluid flow can be accompanied by solid particles. In this work the Basset-Boussinesq-Oseen (BBO) equation will be employed to analyze particle motion in peristaltic fluid flow, this model considers motion of a small spherical particle suspended in a nonuniform fluid flow and diverse forces are considered. In ureteral peristaltic flow, fluid being transported is essentially Newtonian and incompressible. Ureteral peristaltic flow is sometimes accompanied by particles such as stones or bacteria. In the present study, the geometrical form of the peristaltic wave will be taken to be sinusoidal. The governing equations are Navier-Stokes for the fluid and momentum for the particle (BBO equation). A regular perturbation series in which the variables are expanded in a power series of the wavenumber (ε = πRw/λ) is used to solve the fluid problem. One-way coupling between the fluid and particles is assumed.