Numerical simulations of shear dependent viscoelastic flows with a combined finite element-finite volume method

A hybrid combined finite element-finite volume method has been developed for the numerical simulation of shear-dependent viscoelastic flow problems governed by a generalized Oldroyd-B model with a non-constant viscosity function. The method is applied to the 4:1 planar contraction benchmark problem, to investigate the influence of the viscosity effects on the flow and results are compared with those found in the literature for creeping Oldroyd-B flows, for a range of Weissenberg numbers. The method is also applied to flow in a smooth stenosed channel. It is shown that the qualitative behavior of the flow is influenced by the rheological properties of the fluid, namely its viscoelastic and inertial effects, as well as the shear-thinning viscosity. These results appear in the framework of a preliminary study of the numerical simulation of steady and pulsatile blood flows in two-dimensional stenotic vessels, using this hybrid finite element-finite volume method. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.