Numerical simulation of air flow in realistic model of human upper airways

Abstract

This article deals with CFD calculations of flow patterns in a realistic model of the upper respiratory tract. RANS method was used for the calculation. The flow was solved as an unsteady one due to its nature. Two breathing cycles were simulated, 15 l/min which corresponds to the idle breathing mode and 30 l/min which corresponds to light activity. The model of upper airways consists of the oral cavity, larynx and trachea, which branches up to the fourth generation. Values of the velocity field distribution calculated are the basis for future calculations of aerosol transport and deposition in the human respiratory tract.