IAC-CNR,

Blood ow in a curved artery is described as the motion of a viscous uid through a curved thin-walled elastic tube. Under the hypothesis of small curvature, an asymptotic analysis is carried out to solve the governing unsteady 3D equations. The model results an extension of the Womersley's theory for the straight elastic tube. A numerical solution is found for the rst order approximation and com-putational results are nally presented, demonstrating the role of curvature in the wave propagation and in the development of a secondary ow. 1