A finite element method for the Navier– Stokes equations in moving domain with application to hemodynamics of the left ventricle

The paper introduces a finite element method for the Navier-Stokes equations of incompressible viscous fluid in a time-dependent domain. The method is based on a quasi-Lagrangian formulation of the problem and handling the geometry in a time-explicit way. We prove that numerical solution satisfies a discrete analogue of the fundamental energy estimate. This stability estimate does not require a CFL time-step restriction. The method is further applied to simulation of a flow in a model of the left ventricle of a human heart, where the ventricle wall dynamics is reconstructed from a sequence of contrast enhanced Computed Tomography images.