Numerical study of the air flow and aerosol particle transport in a model of the human respiratory tract

In this study, the deposition of aerosol particles has been numerically examined in a model of the human airways. The geometry represents a simplified upper airway model merged with a CT-scan based intrathoracic airways up to the 5th generation of the tracheobronchial tree. Calculations are performed for flow rates of 30 L/min and 60 L/min using large eddy simulation with the rotation rate based Smagorinsky model as subgrid-scale model. Monodisperse particles (2-10 mm in diameter) are tracked in LES frozen fields using a one-way coupling Lagrangian approach. It is observed that right lung receives more flow ventilation and particle distribution than the left lung. The particle deposition in the upper airways increases with the flow rate and with particle size, which is consistent with the data from the literature. The deposition in the tracheobronchial tree remains relatively low, which is confirmed by experiments performed on the same geometric model.

ISBN:978-3-319-60386-5

Jaar van publicatie:2017

Toegankelijkheid:Closed