title: On using experimentally estimated wall shear stresses to validate numerically predicted results.
abstract: The objective of this investigation was to assess the use of experimentally estimated wall shear stresses to validate numerically predicted results. The most commonly cited haemodynamic factor implicated in the disease initiation and proliferation processes at graft/artery junctions is wall shear stress (WSS). WSS can be determined from the product of the viscosity of the fluid and the wall shear rate. Numerically, the wall shear rate is predicted using velocity values stored in the computational cell near the wall and assuming zero velocity at the wall. Experimentally, the wall shear rate is estimated by applying a curve-fit to near-wall velocity measurements and evaluating the shear rate at a specific distance from the wall. When estimating the wall shear rate from the laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) point velocity measurements, large differences between the experimentally estimated and numerically predicted WSSs were introduced. It was found that the estimated WSS distributions from the experimental results are highly dependent on the curve-fitting method used to calculate the wall shear rate. However, the velocity profiles for both the experimental and numerical investigations show extremely good comparison. It is concluded that numerical models should be validated using unprocessed LDA point velocity measurement and not estimated WSS values.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University, of Limerick, Limerick, Republic of Ireland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McGloughlin
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Liepsch
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ansari
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D001158:Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D018056:Hemorheology / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry / Q000379:methods*; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D033081:Shear Strength; D013314:Stress, Mechanical