A MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF THE DYNAMICS OF BLOOD FLOW IN THE LARGE ARTERIES

Abstract

This research studied the flow of blood through the arteries with emphasis on the large arteries considering it with elastic wall. In this work, blood was considered as a Newtonian fluid and the artery being a cylindrical tube. Given that the artery is cylindrical in shape with the motion of the blood being pulsatile, the model was generated using the Navier-Stokes’ equation. In the analysis of the study, it was discovered that the graphical representations for the radial and axial velocities in blood flow is sinusoidal which is valid since the elastic arterial walls respond to the pulsatile nature of the heart. The study also shows how blood pressure increases from the aorta, through the arteries (systemic circulation), and begins to drop as the arteries divides into smaller arterioles up to the capillaries and veins (pulmonary circulation). Its understanding goes a long way to affect health care spending with its effect on the GDP and inflation of a nation’s economy.