Three-dimensional study of wall shear stresses in a tube of noncircular cross-section

This paper describes numerical solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible steady flow through a rigid smooth straight tube with an axially uniform non-circular cross section which mimics collapsed veins at peculiar values of the transmural pressure. One of the peculiar values of the transmural pressure produces a contact of the opposite walls along a straight segment. This article deals with the space variations of the wall shear stress induced along the wetted perimeter of the cross section as well as in the streamwise direction especially in the entry length. The motivation of this study is to provide the data for experimental works on flow-subjected endothelial cell culture when the space variations of the wall shear stress are non-uniform.