The Effect of Cartilaginous Rings on Deposition by Convection, Brownian Diffusion and Electrostatics

H. Akerstedt
Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
Published in 2010

This paper presents a numerical study of the deposition of spherical charged nanoparticles caused by convection and Brownian diffusion in a pipe with a cartilaginous ring structure. The model is supposed to describe deposition of charged particles in the upper generations of the tracheobronchial tree of the human lung. The upper airways are characterized by a certain wall structure called cartilaginous rings which are believed to increase the particle deposition when compared to an airway with a smooth wall. The problem is defined by solving Navier-Stokes equations in combination with a convective diffusion equation and Gauss law for electrostatics. Results are provided for generation 4 of the human airway and for normal breathing conditions.

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