Influence of airflow dynamics on vortices in the human nasal cavity
ISSN: 0264-4401
Article publication date: 7 August 2019
Issue publication date: 19 November 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand the effect of airflow dynamics on vortices for different flow rates using the human nose three-dimensional model.
Design/methodology/approach
Olfaction originates with air particles travelling from an external environment to the upper segment of the human nose. This phenomenon is generally understood by using the nasal airflow dynamics, which enhances the olfaction by creating the vortices in the human nose. An anatomical three-dimensional model of the human nasal cavity from computed tomography (CT) scan images using the MIMICS software (Materialise, USA) was developed in this study. Grid independence test was performed through volume flow rate, pressure drop from nostrils and septum and average velocity near the nasal valve region using a four computational mesh model. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to examine the flow pattern and influence of airflow dynamics on vortices in the nasal cavity. Numerical simulations were conducted for the flow rates of 7.5, 10, 15 and 20 L/min using numerical finite volume methods.
Findings
At coronal cross-sections, dissimilar nasal airflow patterns were observed for 7.5, 10, 15 and 20 L/min rate of fluid flow in the human nasal cavity. Vortices that are found at the boundaries with minimum velocity creates deceleration zone in the nose vestibule region, which is accompanied by flow segregation. Maximum vortices were observed in the nasal valve region and the posterior end of the turbinate region, which involves mixing and recirculation and is responsible for enhancing the smelling process.
Practical implications
The proposed analysis is applicable to design the sensor chamber for electronic noses.
Originality/value
In this paper, the influence of airflow dynamics on vortices in the human nasal cavity is discussed through numerical simulations.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research for funding the research. Authors are also thankful to the Director, CSIR-CSIO, for giving the permission to carry out this work and Mr Manish Kumar, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Uttarakhand, for his valuable suggestions.
Citation
Dohare, P., Bhondekar, A.P., Sharma, A. and Ghanshyam, C. (2019), "Influence of airflow dynamics on vortices in the human nasal cavity", Engineering Computations, Vol. 36 No. 9, pp. 3164-3179. https://doi.org/10.1108/EC-08-2018-0335
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited