arXiv subjects

Efstratios Tzirtzilakis

Publications and source records attributed to Efstratios Tzirtzilakis.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

On the development of OpenFOAM solvers for simulating MHD micropolar fluid flows with or without the effect of micromagnetorotation

Any micropolar fluid containing magnetic particles, such as blood or ferrofluids, subjected to an external magnetic field experiences a magnetic torque due to the misalignment between particle magnetization and the magnetic field. This effect, known as micromagnetorotation (MMR), remains underexplored in blood flows where erythrocyte magnetization is often neglected. To investigate this, two transient OpenFOAM solvers were developed: epotMicropolarFoam, for incompressible, laminar magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) micropolar flows, and epotMMRFoam, which extends it by incorporating MMR. Both solvers use the PISO algorithm for pressure-velocity coupling and adopt the low magnetic Reynolds number approximation. Micropolar effects are modeled by including the microrotation-vorticity difference in the momentum equation and solving the internal angular momentum equation. In epotMMRFoam, the MMR term is added to this equation, and a constitutive equation for magnetization is also solved. Validation against analytical MHD micropolar Poiseuille flow showed excellent accuracy (error less than 2 percent). Including MMR led to notable reductions in velocity (up to 40 percent) and microrotation (up to 99.9 percent), especially under strong magnetic fields and high hematocrit. Without MMR, magnetic effects were minimal due to the low electrical conductivity of blood. Simulations of 3D MHD artery and 2D MHD aneurysm flows confirmed these findings. In aneurysm geometries, MMR suppressed vortex cores, indicating strong stabilizing and shear-dampening effects. These solvers show high potential for biomedical applications such as magnetic hyperthermia and targeted drug delivery.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2026

Micromagnetorotation effects in micropolar magnetohydrodynamic blood flow through stenosis

This study presents a numerical investigation of a 3D micropolar magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) blood flow through stenosis, with and without the effects of micromagnetorotation (MMR). MMR refers to the magnetic torque caused by the misalignment of the magnetization of magnetic particles in the fluid with the magnetic field, which affects the internal rotation (microrotation) of these particles. Blood can be modeled as a micropolar fluid with magnetic particles due to the magnetization of erythrocytes. In this manner, this study analyzes important flow features, i.e., streamlines, vorticity, velocity, microrotation, wall shear stress, and pressure drop under varying stenosis, hematocrit levels, and magnetic fields, using two newly developed transient OpenFOAM solvers epotMicropolarFoam and epotMMRFoam. Results indicate that micropolar effects become more pronounced at severe stenosis due to the significant reduction in artery size, resulting also in higher wall shear stress and pressure drop. Furthermore, when MMR is disregarded, the magnetic field does not significantly alter blood flow, regardless of its intensity, due to the minimal impact of the Lorentz force on blood. Conversely, MMR substantially affects blood flow, particularly at higher hematocrit levels and severe stenoses, leading to reductions of up to 30% in velocity and vorticity and up to 99.9% in microrotation and higher wall shear stress and pressure drop. Simultaneously, any vortices or disturbances are dampened. These findings underscore the critical role of MMR (which was ignored so far) in altering flow behavior in stenosed arteries, suggesting that it should be considered in future MHD micropolar blood flow studies.

physics.flu-dyn↗