Modeling blood flow in viscoelastic vessels: the 1D augmented fluid-structure interaction system

Mathematical models and numerical simulations are widely used in the field of hemodynamics, representing a valuable resource to better understand physiological and pathological processes. The theory behind the phenomenon is closely related to the study of incompressible flow through compliant thin-walled tubes. The mechanical interaction between blood flow and vessel wall must be properly described by the model. Recent works show the benefits of characterizing the rheology of the vessel wall through a viscoelastic law. Considering the viscous contribution of the wall material and not simply the elastic one leads to a more realistic representation of the vessel behavior, which manifests not only an instantaneous elastic strain but also a viscous damping effect on pulse pressure waves, coupled to energy losses. The aim of this work is to propose an easily extensible 1D mathematical model able to accurately capture the FSI. The originality lies in the introduction of a viscoelastic tube law in PDE form, valid for both arterial and venous networks, leading to an augmented FSI system. In contrast to well established mathematical models, the proposed one is natively hyperbolic. The model is solved with a 2nd-order numerical scheme based on an IMEX RK scheme conceived for applications to hyperbolic systems with stiff relaxation terms. The validation of the model is performed on different tests. Results obtained in Riemann problems, adopting a simple elastic tube law for the characterization of the vessel wall, are compared with available exact solutions. To validate the contribution given by the viscoelastic term, the Method of Manufactured Solutions is applied. Specific tests are designed to verify the well-balancing and the AP property of the scheme. A specific test with an inlet pulse pressure wave is designed to assess the effects of viscoelasticity.
Comment: to be published in Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering