Utilizing the Navier-Stokes Equations for Modelling Incompressible, Viscous, Non-Laminar Fluid Flow in Ultrasonic-Oscillatory Artificial Gravity

One of the most significant challenges in developing technology for long-term space flight is addressing the physiological feasibility of microgravity and artificially-induced gravity conditions. As a part of Drake University's Magneto-Ionization Spacecraft Shield for Interplanetary Travel (MISSFIT) undergraduate research group, we investigate the impact of artificial gravity conditions on cardiovascular fluid flow to predict the changes prolonged exposure to ultrasonic-oscillatory-induced gravity may have on blood flow in the short-term by applying the varational form of the finite element method to solve the partially differential and notoriously unstable Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible and non-laminar flow of viscous fluid. By utilizing a modified form of Chorin’s method in the FEniCS platform, we predict the behavior of blood flow through a short, cylindrical vessel encased in a rectangular mesh. The results from this calculation are then analyzed using the CVSim model to determine the cardiovascular feasibility of oscillatory gravity conditions.