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MEEN30160

Academic Year 2024/2025

Biofluids (MEEN30160)

Subject:
Mechanical Engineering
College:
Engineering & Architecture
School:
Mechanical & Materials Eng
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Malachy O'Rourke
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This is a foundation module in Biofluid Mechanics for undergraduate Biomedical Engineering students. This module will introduce key ideas in the cardiovascular system to include the heart, lung, systemic and pulmonary circulation. It will apply an existing knowledge of fluid mechanics to problems in the field of Biofluid mechanics and in so doing develop competency in tools such as Matlab and Computational Fluid Dynamics used in the study of the cardiovascular system.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of key concepts in fluid mechanics as applied to the cardiovascular system
2. Identify, analyse and solve technical problems using the conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy
3. Understand the physiology and functionality of the heart
4. Distinguish the main differences between the arterial and venous blood flow
5. Analyse and solve technical problems relating to blood flow in the arterial system
6. Understand the concept of a windkessel model and solve numerically related problems using Matlab
7. Plan and conduct experiments involving the application of computational fluid dynamics to cardiovascular flows

Indicative Module Content:

REVIEW OF BASIS FLUID MECHANICS
Continuum; stress and pressure; kinematics; viscosity; buoyancy; control volume analysis; Navier-Stokes equations; Bernoulli equation

MACROCIRCULATION
The Heart: cardiac physiology; electrocardiogram; cardiac cycle; heart valve function; coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, heart valve disease
Arterial and Venous Flow: arterial system physiology; venous system physiology; blood cells, plasma and rheology; pressure, resistance and flow; Windkessel model; Wave propagation; Flow separation at bifurcations; pulsatile flow and turbulence; atherosclerosis, stoke, blood pressure, platelet activation, thromboembolism and aneurysm

SPECIALITY CIRCULATIONS
Flow in the Lungs: physiology; elasticity of lung blood vessels and alveoli; pressure-volume relationship for air flow; Emphysema, asthma and tuberculosis

MODELING AND EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES
In Silico Biofluid Mechanics: computational fluid dynamics; fluid structure interaction; dynamics similarity
In Vitro Biofluid Mechanics: particle image velocimetry; laser Doppler velocimetry; flow chambers
In Vivo Biofluid Mechanics: Doppler ultrasound; phase transport magnetic resonance imaging; Other techniques

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Practical

12
Autonomous Student Learning

84
Total

120

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module will consist of 24 x 1 hour lectures, a laboratory exercise in computational analysis and problem sets.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

It is expected that students will have completed a foundation course in fluid mechanics which includes key concepts such as
(i) statics
(ii) Bernouli's equation
(iii) Conservations equations
(iv) Integral control volume analysis
(v) Internal flow


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Pre-requisite:
MEEN20010 - Mechanics of Fluids I


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Exam (In-person): End of trimester examination End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
70
 No
Report(s): Short laboratory report Week 6 Graded No
5
 No
Report(s): Long laboratory report Week 12 Graded No
25
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

"Biofluid Mechanics, An Introduction to Fluid Mechanics, Macrocirculation and Microcirculation"
David A. Rubenstein, Wei Yin and Mary D. Frame
2nd Edition 2015
Academic Press Series in Biomedical Engineering
ISBN: 978-0-12-800944-4

Name Role
Muhammad Ahmad Raza Tutor

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 33 Fri 14:00 - 14:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 13:00 - 13:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 13:00 - 13:50
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