Chris Long

Isogeometric analysis of Lagrangian hydrodynamics: Axisymmetric formulation in the rz-cylindrical coordinates

A recent Isogeometric Analysis (IGA) formulation of Lagrangian shock hydrodynamics [4] is extended to the 3D axisymmetric case. The Euler equations of compressible hydrodynamics are formulated using the rz-cylindrical coordinates, and are discretized in the weak form using NURBS-based IGA. Artificial shock viscosity and internal energy projection are added to stabilize the formulation. The resulting discretization exhibits good accuracy and robustness properties. It also gives exact symmetry preservation on the appropriately constructed meshes. Several benchmark examples are computed to examine the performance of the proposed formulation.

Recent advances in computational methodology for simulation of mechanical circulatory assist devices.

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) provide mechanical circulatory support to offload the work of one or both ventricles during heart failure. They are used in the clinical setting as destination therapy, as bridge to transplant, or more recently as bridge to recovery to allow for myocardial remodeling. Recent developments in computational simulation allow for detailed assessment of VAD hemodynamics for device design and optimization for both children and adults. Here, we provide a focused review of the recent literature on finite element methods and optimization for VAD simulations. As VAD designs typically fall into two categories, pulsatile and continuous flow devices, we separately address computational challenges of both types of designs, and the interaction with the circulatory system with three representative case studies. In particular, we focus on recent advancements in finite element methodology that have increased the fidelity of VAD simulations. We outline key challenges, which extend to the incorporation of biological response such as thrombosis and hemolysis, as well as shape optimization methods and challenges in computational methodology. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2014, 6:169–188. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1260

Patient-Specific Cardiovascular Fluid Mechanics Analysis with the ST and ALE-VMS Methods

This chapter provides an overview of how patient-specific cardiovascular fluid mechanics analysis, including fluid–structure interaction (FSI), can be carried out with the space–time (ST) and Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) techniques developed by the first three authors’ research teams. The core methods are the ALE-based variational multiscale (ALE-VMS) method, the Deforming-Spatial-Domain/Stabilized ST formulation, and the stabilized ST FSI technique. A good number of special techniques targeting cardiovascular fluid mechanics have been developed to be used with the core methods. These include (i) arterial-surface extraction and boundary condition techniques, (ii) techniques for using variable arterial wall thickness, (iii) methods for calculating an estimated zero-pressure arterial geometry, (iv) techniques for prestressing of the blood vessel wall, (v) mesh generation techniques for building layers of refined fluid mechanics mesh near the arterial walls, (vi) a special mapping technique for specifying the velocity profile at an inflow boundary with non-circular shape, (vii) a scaling technique for specifying a more realistic volumetric flow rate, (viii) techniques for the projection of fluid–structure interface stresses, (ix) a recipe for pre-FSI computations that improve the convergence of the FSI computations, (x) the Sequentially-Coupled Arterial FSI technique and its multiscale versions, (xi) techniques for calculation of the wall shear stress (WSS) and oscillatory shear index (OSI), (xii) methods for stent modeling and mesh generation, (xiii) methods for calculation of the particle residence time, and (xiv) methods for an estimated element-based zero-stress state for the artery. Here we provide an overview of the special techniques for stent modeling and mesh generation and calculation of the residence time with application to pulsatile ventricular assist device (PVAD). We provide references for some of the other special techniques. With results from earlier computations, we show how the core and special techniques work.