PRESSURE FLOW OF A SECOND GRADE FLUID THROUGH A CHANNEL OF VARYING WIDTH WITH APPLICATION TO STENOSED ARTERY

Abstract

Analytical solutions are obtained for steady flow of an incompressible second grade fluid in an axisymmetric channel of varying width. Three approximate methods are used depending upon three different geometrical configuration. The results obtained are applied to study the flow of a second grade fluid through a smooth constriction. To understand the flow behavior near stenosis, resistance to the flow, shear stress at the wall and stress at the stenosis throat are calculated. The results obtained are numerically evaluated for different values of dimensionless non-Newtonian parameters λ1 and λ2 and maximum height of the stenosis δm. It is observed that as we increase the value of these parameters the resistance to the flow, wall shear stress and stress at the stenosis throat increase.