Comparative analysis of the flow in a realistic human airway

Accurate simulations of the flow in the human airway are essential for advancing diagnostic methods. Many existing computational studies rely on simplified geometries or turbulence models, limiting their simulation's ability to resolve flow features such as shear-layer instabilities or secondary vortices. In this study, direct numerical simulations were performed for inspiratory flow through a detailed airway model that covers the nasal mask region to the sixth bronchial bifurcation. Simulations were conducted at two physiologically relevant Reynolds numbers with respect to the pharyngeal diameter, i.e., at Rep=400 (resting) and Rep=1200 (elevated breathing). A lattice-Boltzmann method was employed to directly simulate the flow, i.e., no turbulence model was used. The flow field was examined across four anatomical regions: (1) the nasal cavity, (2) the naso- and oropharynx, (3) the laryngopharynx and larynx, and (4) the trachea and carinal bifurcation. The total pressure loss increased from 9.76 Pa at Rep=400 to 41.93 Pa at Rep=1200. The nasal cavity accounted for the majority of this loss for both Reynolds numbers, though its relative contribution decreased from 81.3% at Rep=400 to 73.4% at Rep=1200. At Rep=1200, secondary vortices in the nasopharyngeal bend and turbulent shear layers in the glottis jet enhanced the local pressure losses. In contrast, the carinal bifurcation mitigated upstream unsteadiness and stabilized the flow. A key outcome is the spatial correlation between the pressure loss and the onset of flow instabilities across the four regions. This yields a novel perspective on how the flow resistance and vortex dynamics vary with geometric changes and flow rate.