Mathematical modelling of air flow in the human respiratory system

Abstract

Nasal inspiration is important for maintaining the internal milieu of the lung, since ambient air is conditioned to nearly alveolar conditions (body temperature and fully saturated with water vapor) on reaching the nasopharynx. In this work conducted a two-dimensional computational study of transport phenomena in model transverse cross sections of the nasal cavity of normal human noses based on the two dimensional Navier-Stokes equation. For discretization Navier-Stokes equation used finite volume method.Projection method applied for solution of the Navier-Stokes equations. The results suggest that during breathing via the normal human nose there is ample time for heat and water exchange to enable equilibration to near intraalveolar conditions. A normal nose can maintain this equilibrium under extreme conditions. The turbinates increase the rate of local heat and moisture transport by narrowing the passageways for air and by induction of laminar swirls downstream of the turbinate wall.