Smoothed particle hydrodynamics method applied to pulsatile flow inside a rigid two‐dimensional model of left heart cavity

Abstract

This paper aims to extend the application of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), a meshfree particle method, to simulate flow inside a model of the heart's left ventricle (LV). This work is considered the first attempt to simulate flow inside a heart cavity using a meshfree particle method. Simulating this kind of flow, characterized by high pulsatility and moderate Reynolds number using SPH is challenging. As a consequence, validation of the computational code using benchmark cases is required prior to simulating the flow inside a model of the LV. In this work, this is accomplished by simulating an unsteady oscillating flow (pressure amplitude: A = 2500 N ∕ m(3) and Womersley number: W(o) = 16) and the steady lid-driven cavity flow (Re = 3200, 5000). The results are compared against analytical solutions and reference data to assess convergence. Then, both benchmark cases are combined and a pulsatile jet in a cavity is simulated and the results are compared with the finite volume method. Here, an approach to deal with inflow and outflow boundary conditions is introduced. Finally, pulsatile inlet flow in a rigid model of the LV is simulated. The results demonstrate the ability of SPH to model complex cardiovascular flows and to track the history of fluid properties. Some interesting features of SPH are also demonstrated in this study, including the relation between particle resolution and sound speed to control compressibility effects and also order of convergence in SPH simulations, which is consistently demonstrated to be between first-order and second-order at the moderate Reynolds numbers investigated.

Modeling Left Ventricular Blood Flow Using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

“…The comparison between the three data sets is encouraging, showing that the SPH method can capture the large-scale flow dynamics with a similar level of accuracy as a traditional mesh-based CFD method. The study by Shahriari and colleagues 20 was essential to validate the SPH approach when applied to the study of 2D cardiovascular flows. The main limitation of this study was, however, the assumption of a 2D rigid LV geometry.…”

“…To date, a limited number of studies have used SPH to study cardiac blood flow 16–19 . Shahriari et al 20 presented the first work demonstrating the capability of SPH to simulate the intraventricular blood flow in a simplified LV model. In this study, the SPH code and methodology were validated against two benchmark cases, and then combined to simulate pulsatile flow in a rigid LV model.…”

Tsunami wave and structure interaction: an investigation with smoothed-particle hydrodynamics

“…The method has found widespread application in engineering for industries involving hydrodynamics, impact fracture, mould filling and high temperature (Muhammad et al, 2013). Within the field of hydrodynamics, the SPH method has been used at the University of Manchester to simulate a range of potentially violent phenomena including wave breaking, dam breaks, greenwater overtopping (Dalrymple and Rogers, 2006), waves impacting moving caisson breakwaters , solving the shallow water equations for flooding and inundation (Vacondio et al, 2011(Vacondio et al, , 2012(Vacondio et al, , 2013, pulsatile flow in a human left ventricle (Shahriari et al, 2012), wave interaction with floating wave energy devices (Omidvar et al, 2012(Omidvar et al, , 2013, water slam problems (Skillen et al, 2013), sediment suspension in industrial tanks (Fourtakas et al, 2013), laser processing (Muhammad et al, 2013), and wave interaction with partially submerged rubble mound breakwaters (Altomare et al, 2014).…”

Fluid–Structure Interaction Study of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Dynamics Using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

“…Difficulties associated with fluid flow and structural problems involving large deformations and free surfaces can be resolved by SPH in a relatively natural way. Therefore, it has emerged as a new FSI method to assess the hemodynamic responses of BHVs and blood flow in the left ventricle (Shahriari et al 2012a; Shahriari et al 2012b; Toma et al 2016a; Toma et al 2016b; Yuan et al 2013). …”