On micropolar fluid model for blood flow through narrow tubes

Abstract

In the present analysis, a two-fluid model for blood flow through small diameter tubes has been studied. This model essentially consists of a core region (suspension of red cells, etc.), assumed to be a micropolar fluid, and a peripheral plasma layer (Newtonian fluid). It is proposed that the coefficient of Viscosity in the core region may be considered as the shear viscosity of blood. Using the boundary conditions proposed by Ariman et al. and Bugliarello and Sevilla, analytical expressions for flow velocity, cell rotational velocity and effective viscosity have been obtained. Variation of velocity profile shows that the results obtained are in better agreement with the experimental results. A critical study of Ariman et ale model and other existing two-fluids models has been presented. The values of effective viscosity for different tube diameters have been computed from Ariman et ale model and from the present model. On comparing, it is found that the results obtained from the present analysis exhibit Fahraeus-Lindquist effect, whereas the Ariman et al. model does not show this effect.