Numerical simulations of high frequency respiratory flows in a model bifurcating lung geometry

N. Valleru*, S. Smirnov, J. Tan, S. Parameswaran, R. Raj

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Numerical studies of 2D cases are conducted using a CFD code FLUENT to analyze the flow patterns and gas transport at high oscillatory frequencies through a two-generation bifurcating lung model. The geometry corresponds to fifth to seventh generations of airways with the dimensions based on the Wiebel's symmetric pulmonary model. Computations are carried out for the Reynolds numbers Re = 400 and Re = 1000, while the Womersley number is Wo = 4.0 and Wo = 16.0. The average mass distribution in the entire lung model is also investigated to analyze the influence of flow frequency on the mass diffusion efficiency. The numerical results of the current study pointed to: i) the numerical model successfully reproduces many results observed in the experiments; and ii) there is practically no net effect of the high frequency on the increased mass diffusion in the bifurcation geometry. The developed numerical model may be further used in more complicated 3D geometries and for determining the optimal conditions for artificial lung ventilation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationModelling in Medicine and Biology VIII
Pages115-122
Number of pages8
DOIs
StatePublished - 2009
Event8th International Conference on Modelling in Medicine and Biology, BIOMED 2009 - Crete, Greece
Duration: May 26 2009May 28 2009

Publication series

NameWIT Transactions on Biomedicine and Health
Volume13
ISSN (Print)1743-3525

Other

Other8th International Conference on Modelling in Medicine and Biology, BIOMED 2009
Country/TerritoryGreece
CityCrete
Period5/26/095/28/09

Keywords

  • CFD
  • Diffusion
  • Fluid mechanics
  • Numerical simulation
  • Oscillatory flow
  • Pulmonary airways

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Modeling and Simulation

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