Flow through a converging-diverging tube and its implications in occlusive vascular disease — II: Theoretical and experimental results and their implications

Abstract

In Part I of this communication, equations are developed to approximately describe the flow characteristics of an incompressible fluid through an axisymmetric converging-diverging tube. In Part II, an experimental program to study some of these flow characteristics is described, the theoretical and experimental results are compared, and some speculations are made on their implications in occlusive vascular disease. A plastic converging-diverging tube was constructed to determine the separation and reattachment points and the pressure drop across the entire stenosis. Water and blood were used in the experiments. Data were obtained for these fluids for Reynolds numbers up to approximately 1000. The experimental results obtained for the water and blood did not differ greatly, but in general only fair agreement was found between the experimental and theoretical results.