Self-excited oscillations of three-dimensional collapsible tubes conveying both laminar and turbulent flows

What is it about?

Fluid-structure interactions of collapsible (elastic) tubes give rise to complex phenomena that are physiologically significant across various biological systems. For example, in the respiratory system, significant collapse of the upper airway can lead to obstructions that induce sleep apnea and flow-induced instabilities resulting in snoring. Our study employs an innovative immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method to investigate self-excited oscillations in three-dimensional collapsible tubes under laminar and turbulent flow conditions.

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Photo by Ali Hajiluyi on Unsplash

Photo by Ali Hajiluyi on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research first unveiled the local thickening of elastic walls due to stress concentration, offering new insights into the genesis and growth of arterial plaques. This discovery could have profound implications for understanding the development of cardiovascular diseases. This work represents the first numerical study of turbulent flows in collapsible tubes, providing new insights into the mechanism for the onset of self-excited oscillations. The observation that vortex shedding imparts periodic perturbations onto the elastic tube wall is particularly noteworthy and could lead to a better understanding of various physiological phenomena.

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