Characteristics of transition to turbulence in a healthy thoracic aorta using large eddy simulation
Abstract This study employed large eddy simulation (LES) with the wall-adapting local eddy-viscosity (WALE) model to investigate transitional flow characteristics in an idealized model of a healthy thoracic aorta. The OpenFOAM solver pimpleFoam was used to simulate blood flow as an incompressible Ne...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86983-z |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850063724205834240 |
|---|---|
| author | Kuiyu Cheng Shehnaz Akhtar Kwan Yong Lee Sang-Wook Lee |
| author_facet | Kuiyu Cheng Shehnaz Akhtar Kwan Yong Lee Sang-Wook Lee |
| author_sort | Kuiyu Cheng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This study employed large eddy simulation (LES) with the wall-adapting local eddy-viscosity (WALE) model to investigate transitional flow characteristics in an idealized model of a healthy thoracic aorta. The OpenFOAM solver pimpleFoam was used to simulate blood flow as an incompressible Newtonian fluid, with the aortic walls treated as rigid boundaries. Simulations were conducted for 30 cardiac cycles and ensemble averaging was employed to ensure statistically reliable results. Main hemodynamic parameters, such as velocity fields, turbulence intensity turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), oscillatory shear index (OSI) and wall shear stress (WSS), were analyzed throughout the circulatory system. Through 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) visualization, we explained the transition from laminar to turbulent flow and its development throughout the cardiac cycle. The results demonstrated that turbulence originates in the aortic arch following the peak systole phase and further develops in the aortic arch and descending aorta during the mid-deceleration and end-systole phases, with the maximum turbulence intensity exceeding 25%. WSS reached up to 30 Pa during the peak systole, with an average WSS of 6.5 Pa across the cardiac cycle. Low and oscillatory WSS were observed during diastole which can potentially contribute to the development of vascular diseases including, aortic dissection and atherosclerosis. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5fcd3be8f4cd478b945bdd5b26b45f25 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-5fcd3be8f4cd478b945bdd5b26b45f252025-08-20T02:49:30ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115112110.1038/s41598-025-86983-zCharacteristics of transition to turbulence in a healthy thoracic aorta using large eddy simulationKuiyu Cheng0Shehnaz Akhtar1Kwan Yong Lee2Sang-Wook Lee3School of Mechanical Engineering, University of UlsanSchool of Mechanical Engineering, University of UlsanCardiovascular Center and Cardiology Division, Seoul St. Mary’s HospitalSchool of Mechanical Engineering, University of UlsanAbstract This study employed large eddy simulation (LES) with the wall-adapting local eddy-viscosity (WALE) model to investigate transitional flow characteristics in an idealized model of a healthy thoracic aorta. The OpenFOAM solver pimpleFoam was used to simulate blood flow as an incompressible Newtonian fluid, with the aortic walls treated as rigid boundaries. Simulations were conducted for 30 cardiac cycles and ensemble averaging was employed to ensure statistically reliable results. Main hemodynamic parameters, such as velocity fields, turbulence intensity turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), oscillatory shear index (OSI) and wall shear stress (WSS), were analyzed throughout the circulatory system. Through 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) visualization, we explained the transition from laminar to turbulent flow and its development throughout the cardiac cycle. The results demonstrated that turbulence originates in the aortic arch following the peak systole phase and further develops in the aortic arch and descending aorta during the mid-deceleration and end-systole phases, with the maximum turbulence intensity exceeding 25%. WSS reached up to 30 Pa during the peak systole, with an average WSS of 6.5 Pa across the cardiac cycle. Low and oscillatory WSS were observed during diastole which can potentially contribute to the development of vascular diseases including, aortic dissection and atherosclerosis.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86983-zHealthy thoracic aortaLarge eddy simulationOpenFOAMLaminar-turbulent transitionTurbulent kinetic energyWall shear stress |
| spellingShingle | Kuiyu Cheng Shehnaz Akhtar Kwan Yong Lee Sang-Wook Lee Characteristics of transition to turbulence in a healthy thoracic aorta using large eddy simulation Scientific Reports Healthy thoracic aorta Large eddy simulation OpenFOAM Laminar-turbulent transition Turbulent kinetic energy Wall shear stress |
| title | Characteristics of transition to turbulence in a healthy thoracic aorta using large eddy simulation |
| title_full | Characteristics of transition to turbulence in a healthy thoracic aorta using large eddy simulation |
| title_fullStr | Characteristics of transition to turbulence in a healthy thoracic aorta using large eddy simulation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characteristics of transition to turbulence in a healthy thoracic aorta using large eddy simulation |
| title_short | Characteristics of transition to turbulence in a healthy thoracic aorta using large eddy simulation |
| title_sort | characteristics of transition to turbulence in a healthy thoracic aorta using large eddy simulation |
| topic | Healthy thoracic aorta Large eddy simulation OpenFOAM Laminar-turbulent transition Turbulent kinetic energy Wall shear stress |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86983-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kuiyucheng characteristicsoftransitiontoturbulenceinahealthythoracicaortausinglargeeddysimulation AT shehnazakhtar characteristicsoftransitiontoturbulenceinahealthythoracicaortausinglargeeddysimulation AT kwanyonglee characteristicsoftransitiontoturbulenceinahealthythoracicaortausinglargeeddysimulation AT sangwooklee characteristicsoftransitiontoturbulenceinahealthythoracicaortausinglargeeddysimulation |