Simulation of the Three-Dimensional Flow of Blood Using a Shear-Thinning Viscoelastic Fluid Model

This paper is concerned with the numerical simulation of a thermodynamically compatible viscoelastic shear-thinning fluid model, particularly well suited to describe the rheological response of blood, under physiological conditions. Numerical simulations are performed in two idealized three-dimensional geometries, a stenosis and a curved vessel, to investigate the combined effects of flow inertia, viscosity and viscoelasticity in these geometries. The aim of this work is to provide new insights into the modeling and simulation of homogeneous rheological models for blood and a basis for further developments in modeling and prediction.