LES modelling of flow in a simple airway model

Detailed information about the flow field pattern is highly important in accurately predicting particle deposition sites in the human airway. Flow in the upper airway during heavy breathing can have a Reynolds number as high as 9300, and therefore presents turbulent features. Although turbulence is believed to have an important effect on the airflow and other transport processes in the bronchial tree, to date both theoretical and numerical studies have predominantly assumed the flow to be laminar. In this paper, transitional/turbulent flow during inspiration is studied using a large eddy simulation (LES) in a single asymmetric bifurcation model of human upper airway. The influence of the non-laminar flow on the patterns and the particle paths is investigated in both 2D and 3D models. Throughout the investigation, comparisons with the laminar and conventional k–ε models for the same configuration and flow conditions are made. The LES model is also carefully validated against published experimental data in a stenotic tube model. The results demonstrate that the LES model is capable of capturing instantaneous eddy formation and flow separation in (almost) laminar, transitional and turbulent flow regimes, and hence may be used as a powerful and practical tool to provide much of the detailed flow information required for tracing the particle trajectories and particle deposition in human airways.