ISBN 9783843922456

978-3-8439-2245-6, Reihe Strömungsmechanik

Franka Schröder
Particle Deposition Driven by Vortex Pairs in the Human Lung

144 Seiten, Dissertation Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (2015), Softcover, A5

Zusammenfassung / Abstract

The World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be the fourth leading cause of death by the year 2030. This suggests the necessity for a fast and cost-efficient presumptive diagnosis. Hence, it is important to develop a non-invasive medical diagnostic of COPD to lower the mortality rate. One possible approach is based on the analysis of the exhaled breath condensate (EBC). To use the EBC, it is essential to provide evidence that the flow field in the human lung offers a possibility to transport aerosols from lower generations of the lung to the measuring instrument. The objective of this thesis is to broaden the knowledge about the particle deposition driven by vortical flows in human lung bifurcation configurations. Therefore, the flow field in a realistic model of the human lung is investigated during expiration for different Reynolds numbers and different realistic breathing cycles using stereo particle image velocimetry (PIV) in several measurement planes. Additionally, the particle deposition influenced by vortical structures is studied in a generic geometry.