Inspiratory and expiratory steady flow analysis in a model symmetrically bifurcating airway.

Abstract

Steady inspiratory and expiratory flow in a symmetrically bifurcating airway model was studied numerically using the finite element method (FIDAP). Flows of Reynolds number of 500 and 1000 during inspiration and a flow of Reynolds number of 500 during expiration were analyzed. Since the geometry of the bifurcation model used in this study is exactly the same as the model used in the experimental studies, the computed results were compared to the experimental findings. Results show that most of the important flow features that were observed in the experiment, such as the skewed velocity profiles in the daughter branches during inspiration and velocity peak in the parent tube during expiration, were captured in the numerical simulation. Quantitatively, the computed velocity profiles are in good agreement with the measured profiles. This comparison validates the computational simulations.