Solute dispersion in two-fluid flowing through tubes with a porous layer near the absorbing wall: Model for dispersion phenomenon in microvessels

Abstract

Present study concerns the solute dispersion analysis in a two-fluid model of blood flow through tubes with a thin porous layer near the absorbing wall. A thin porous layer near the wall represents an endothelial glycocalyx layer the composition of which may be attributed to the accumulation of carbohydrates, absorbed plasma proteins and macromolecules in a layer at the wall that affects the plasma flow (Secomb et al., 1998. A model for red blood cell motion in glycocalyx-lined capillaries. Am. J. Physiol. 274 (Heart Circ. Physiol. 43), H1016-H1022; Pries et al., 2000. The endothelial surface layer. Eur. J. Physiol. 440, 653–666). Two-fluid model for blood flow is considered in which the central region of the blood vessel is occupied by Herschel-Bulkley fluid with variable viscosity and a peripheral region of plasma surrounded over the central region is occupied by a Newtonian fluid with constant viscosity. Governing equations are solved analytically for all the regions (central, intermediate and porous regions) and the approach of Sankarasubramanian and Gill (Sankarasubramanian, R, Gill, W N, 1973. Unsteady convective diffusion with interphase mass transfer. Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. A 333, 115–132) is followed to solve the diffusion equation by series expansion method. The impact of porous layer (and hence the porous layer parameters), varying viscosity, plasma layer and wall absorption parameters on the diffusion process like convective, dispersion and mean concentration have been analyzed. A comparative investigation of solute dispersion between Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids has also been discussed. It is perceived that the presence of such a layer reduces the convective and axial dispersion for a highly reactive wall. A remarkable observation is that a reduced porosity near the wall contributes towards reduced average concentration of the solvent. The analysis of the porous layer inside the arterial wall may be used to understand the diffusion process for flow through arteries with a deposition of a porous layer near the absorbing wall.