Lo, Chim Yui; (2025) High-performance cardiovascular simulations and applications in virtual human modelling using lattice Boltzmann methods. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Substantial effort is being invested in creating a virtual human --- a detailed, digital representation of an individual’s biophysical processes. A central challenge is modelling and simulating the cardiovascular system at a full-human scale. This thesis explores four topics around this theme, using the lattice-Boltzmann-based blood flow solver HemeLB and high-performance computing. The first topic addresses the development of a pressure boundary condition that remains accurate even when the boundary plane does not align with the grid. By verifying this boundary condition in HemeLB, this study demonstrates the reliability of both the implemented method and the model in HemeLB, paving the way for more accurate simulations of blood flow in complex vascular networks. The second topic advances an efficient approach to controlling flow rates at multiple outlets based on the two-element Windkessel model. Our findings show the effects of the model parameters on the convergence and accuracy of flow rates and establish constraints for numerical stability, making the approach applicable to larger and more complex vascular domains. The third topic explores the haemodynamic impact of peripheral arterial disease on abdominal aortic aneurysms through uncertainty quantification of a fluid mechanics model. Our sensitivity analysis identifies the parameters that warrant optimisation and prioritisation, which is crucial for a complex model with many degrees of freedom. This study forms the foundation for patient-specific simulations of this pathological condition, which should ultimately improve patient outcomes and reduce associated mortality rates. The fourth topic presents an innovative approach to coupling a 3D electromechanical model of the heart with a 3D fluid mechanics model of vascular blood flow. Our findings highlight the importance of high-fidelity simulations and the integrated nature of biophysical systems. Moreover, this study exemplifies how productive collaboration between teams with complementary expertise can advance the development of virtual human models.

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