Modelling blood flow in the coronary arteries: flow in a curved tube of time-varying curvature
Waters SL., Lynch DG., Pedley TJ.
As part of a program to understand the flow and wall shear rate distribution in extramyocardial coronary arteries, which are situated on the outer surface of the pulsating heart, a theoretical analysis was conducted of the flow of a viscous fluid in a curved circular tube of uniform but time-dependent curvature. Derivation of the governing equations is made difficult because the natural, boundary-fitted coordinate system constitutes a frame of reference which experiences both acceleration and rotation. The equations are derived and the variety of different cases corresponding to different orders of magnitude of the governing parameters are explained.