Analytical and Computational Investigation of Blood Flow in Generic Aortic Aneurysm: A Closed Conduit Approach

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a potentially fatal cardiovascular condition defined by a focal dilation of the blood vessel. AAA rupture is not only caused by biological factors but also by mechanical parameters of the aortic wall. This work designs generic aneurysms and performs analytical and computational investigations. The objective of the investigation is to examine Wall shear stress (WSS), velocity, and aortic pressure, factors that affect the aorta wall's integrity. The fluid flow in AAA models was studied using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to examine the effects of geometrical features and boundary conditions. The study focuses on the steady-state behaviour of aortic aneurysm models with Reynolds numbers ranging from 500 to 7500. The generic aorta designs showed a deviation of 2% in the pressure difference and 4% in the WSS. Subsequently, the maximum velocity deviated by 0.7% from the theoretical value in the design. The aneurysmal aorta model with gradual expansion and contraction showed pressure uncertainty of 2% and a velocity variation of about 3% based on analytical and CFD results. These results relate to how close the theoretical and computational outcomes match and help comprehend the aortic aneurysm's disease under laminar and turbulent flow conditions.