Constructal design of an arterial bypass graft

Abstract

AbstractArterial bypass grafts tend to fail after some years due to intimal hyperplasia—an abnormal proliferation of smooth muscle cells that leads to stenosis and graft occlusion. In this regard and on the basis of the constructal design method, this study seeks to investigate the effect of geometric parameters—stenosis degree, junction angle, and diameter ratio—on the flow through a bypass graft circumventing an idealized, partially stenosed coronary artery. The computational model assumes a steady‐state Newtonian fluid flow through an artery stenosis degree from 25% to 75%. A computational fluid dynamics model and a response surface methodology were employed to assess the effects of the project parameters on pressure drop. As diameter ratio increases to 1 and the junction angle decreases to 30°, the pressure drop decreases and there is a considerable dependence of pressure drop on the stenosis degree. The effects of the diameter ratio are more pronounced than those of junction angle on the velocity field and wall shear stress. The application of the constructal design method in hemodynamics might be a good alternative to provide configurations with enhanced performance and to provide valuable results to the understanding of biological flows.