Deposition of non-spherical microparticles in the human upper respiratory tract--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

Jia, L., Zhang, L., & Yu, S. (2018). Deposition of non-spherical microparticles in the human upper respiratory tract. Particuology, 36, 185-189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2017.06.009

Deposition of non-spherical microparticles in the human upper respiratory tract

Lixing Jia ^a, Lianzhong Zhang ^a *, Suyuan Yu ^b

a School of Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
b Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

10.1016/j.partic.2017.06.009

Volume 36, February 2018, Pages 185-189

Received 26 November 2016, Revised 21 June 2017, Accepted 28 June 2017, Available online 16 November 2017, Version of Record 22 December 2017.

E-mail: zhanglz@nankai.edu.cn

Highlights

• Numerical simulation was carried out based on a realistic human upper respiratory tract model.

• Effect of particle shape factor (0.001–1) on deposition fraction of microparticles was studied.

• Deposition fraction of microparticles decreased markedly with increasing particle shape factor.

Abstract

We investigated the deposition pattern of microparticles with different particle diameters, shape factors, and initial flow conditions in a realistic human upper respiratory tract model. We identified a close relationship between the deposition fraction and the particle shape factor. The deposition fraction of the particles decreased sharply with increasing particle shape factor because of the decreasing drag force. We also found that the deposition varied at different positions in the upper respiratory tract. At low shape factors, the highest fraction of particles deposited at the mouth and pharynx. However, with increasing shape factor, the deposition fraction in the trachea and lungs increased. Moreover, for a given shape factor, larger particles deposited at the mouth and pharynx, which indicates that the deposition fraction of microparticles in the human upper respiratory tract is affected first and foremost by particle inertia as well as by the drag force.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Particle deposition; Non-spherical microparticles; Human upper airway; Shape factor

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