Unsteady solute dispersion in large arteries under periodic body acceleration

Abstract

The present study investigates the effect of periodic body acceleration on solute dispersion in blood flow through large arteries. Transport coefficients (i.e., exchange, convection, and dispersion coefficients) and mean concentration of the solute are analyzed in the presence of wall absorption. The solute is quickly transported to the wall of arteries with a smaller radius, whereas the opposite is true for arteries with a larger radius. In the presence of body acceleration, the amplitude of fluctuations of the convection coefficient K1(t) increases significantly as the radius of the artery increases. In contrast, an opposite scenario exists for the dispersion coefficient K2(t). The solute dispersion process becomes more effective in arterial blood flow as the radius of the artery decreases. More interestingly, in large arteries with body acceleration, the solute is convected, dispersed, and distributed more toward the upstream direction owing to flow reversal during the diastolic phase of pressure pulsation. Note that this important feature of flow reversal is solely due to periodic body acceleration. For an artery with a small radius, under the influence of periodic body acceleration, the mean concentration of solute Cm is the minimum, and more axial spread is noticed in the axial direction. In contrast, an opposite scenario arises in the artery with a large radius. Additionally, the effect of body acceleration on the shear-induced diffusion of red blood cells is discussed in blood flow.