IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i5p1556-d326319.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Inhalation Airflow Dynamics in a Human Pharyngeal Airway

Author

Listed:
  • Yaming Fan

    (Indoor Environment Engineering Research Center of Fujian Province, College of Ecological Environment and Urban Construction, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou 350118, China)

  • Jingliang Dong

    (Indoor Environment Engineering Research Center of Fujian Province, College of Ecological Environment and Urban Construction, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou 350118, China
    School of Engineering, RMIT University, P.O. Box 71, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia)

  • Lin Tian

    (School of Engineering, RMIT University, P.O. Box 71, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia)

  • Kiao Inthavong

    (School of Engineering, RMIT University, P.O. Box 71, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia)

  • Jiyuan Tu

    (School of Engineering, RMIT University, P.O. Box 71, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia)

Abstract

This paper presents a computational and experimental study of steady inhalation in a realistic human pharyngeal airway model. To investigate the intricate fluid dynamics inside the pharyngeal airway, the numerical predicted flow patterns are compared with in vitro measurements using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) approach. A structured mesh with 1.4 million cells is used with a laminar constant flow rate of 10 L/min. PIV measurements are taken in three sagittal planes which showed flow acceleration after the pharynx bend with high velocities in the posterior pharyngeal wall. Computed velocity profiles are compared with the measurements which showed generally good agreements with over-predicted velocity distributions on the anterior wall side. Secondary flow patterns on cross-sectional slices in the transverse plane revealed vortices posterior of pharynx and a pair of secondary flow vortexes due to the abrupt cross-sectional area increase. Finally, pressure and flow resistance analysis demonstrate that greatest pressure occurs in the superior half of the airway and maximum in-plane pressure variation is observed at the velo-oropharynx junction, which expects to induce a high tendency of airway collapse during inhalation. This study provides insights of the complex fluid dynamics in human pharyngeal airway and can contribute to a reliable approach to assess the probability of flow-induced airway collapse and improve the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.

Suggested Citation

  • Yaming Fan & Jingliang Dong & Lin Tian & Kiao Inthavong & Jiyuan Tu, 2020. "Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Inhalation Airflow Dynamics in a Human Pharyngeal Airway," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-14, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:5:p:1556-:d:326319
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/5/1556/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/5/1556/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sidney Fels & Lynne Bilston, 2010. "Dynamic modelling of the oral, pharyngeal and laryngeal complex for biomedical applications," Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(4), pages 441-442.
    2. M. Malvè & S. Chandra & J. López-Villalobos & E. Finol & A. Ginel & M. Doblaré, 2013. "CFD analysis of the human airways under impedance-based boundary conditions: application to healthy, diseased and stented trachea," Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 198-216.
    3. Gerardo Sanchez Martinez & Joseph V. Spadaro & Dimitris Chapizanis & Vladimir Kendrovski & Mihail Kochubovski & Pierpaolo Mudu, 2018. "Health Impacts and Economic Costs of Air Pollution in the Metropolitan Area of Skopje," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-11, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Stefani Kulebanova & Jana Prodanova & Aleksandra Dedinec & Trifce Sandev & Desheng Wu & Ljupco Kocarev, 2024. "Media Sentiment on Air Pollution: Seasonal Trends in Relation to PM10 Levels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-20, July.
    2. Xiya Zhang & Haibo Hu, 2019. "Combining Data from Multiple Sources to Evaluate Spatial Variations in the Economic Costs of PM 2.5 -Related Health Conditions in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-17, October.
    3. Nicolas Borchers-Arriagada & Andrew J. Palmer & David M.J.S. Bowman & Grant J. Williamson & Fay H. Johnston, 2020. "Health Impacts of Ambient Biomass Smoke in Tasmania, Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-17, May.
    4. Agnieszka Jakubowska & Marcin Rabe, 2022. "Air Pollution and Limitations in Health: Identification of Inequalities in the Burdens of the Economies of the “Old” and “New” EU," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-16, August.
    5. O. Trabelsi & M. Malvè & A. Mena Tobar & M. Doblaré, 2015. "Simulation of swallowing dysfunction and mechanical ventilation after a Montgomery T-tube insertion," Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(14), pages 1596-1605, October.
    6. Marcelle Virginia Canto & Mònica Guxens & Anna García-Altés & Maria José López & Marc Marí-Dell’Olmo & Javier García-Pérez & Rebeca Ramis, 2023. "Air Pollution and Birth Outcomes: Health Impact and Economic Value Assessment in Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-14, January.
    7. Isra Hyka & Artan Hysa & Sokol Dervishi & Marijana Kapovic Solomun & Alban Kuriqi & Dinesh Kumar Vishwakarma & Paul Sestras, 2022. "Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Landscape Transformation in Western Balkans’ Metropolitan Areas," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-23, October.
    8. Mladen Miletić & Edouard Ivanjko & Tomislav Fratrović & Borna Abramović, 2023. "Air Pollution Modeling for Sustainable Urban Mobility with COVID-19 Impact Analysis: Case Study of Skopje," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-21, January.
    9. Nilakshi T. Waidyatillake & Patricia T. Campbell & Don Vicendese & Shyamali C. Dharmage & Ariadna Curto & Mark Stevenson, 2021. "Particulate Matter and Premature Mortality: A Bayesian Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-21, July.
    10. Xiao Gong & Jianing Mi & Chunyan Wei & Ruitao Yang, 2019. "Measuring Environmental and Economic Performance of Air Pollution Control for Province-Level Areas in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-19, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:5:p:1556-:d:326319. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.