A Theoretical and Experimental Study of an Oscillatory Flow Through a Compliant Tube

In this paper, a theoretical and experimental study of an oscillatory flow through a compliant tube is reported. This study attempts to mimic the flow through arteries, in order to achieve a better understanding of the interactions between flow pulsatility and arterial compliance by simultaneously measuring the flow rate and the tube’s shape evolution. The experimental setup consists of a horizontally submerged elastic PDMS tube mounted between two fixed ends, each instrumented with a pressure sensor to monitor the instantaneous pressure. The device providing the flow was custom designed and manufactured by our team to deliver a purely oscillatory flow. A high-speed camera is used to observe the tube’s undulating shape. A model is developed to describe the tube’s wall motion, informed by its tension, stiffness, and density. Based on the pressure data, the governing equation is then solved numerically to obtain the predicted evolution of the tube’s profile, and the solution is compared to data acquired from the footage of the tube. This study showcases a setup where a compliant tube’s flow conditions are measured in tandem with its deformation, offering a unique avenue through which fluid-structure interaction models in compliant ducts can be tested and refined.