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Updated: May 30, 2026

Hemi-laryngeal Setup for Studying Vocal Fold Vibration in Three Dimensions
Published on: November 25, 2017
Direct-numerical simulation of the glottal jet and vocal-fold dynamics in a three-dimensional laryngeal model
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 126 Latrobe Hall, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.
Abstract:
An immersed-boundary method based flow solver coupled with a finite-element solid dynamics solver is employed in order to conduct direct-numerical simulations of phonatory dynamics in a three-dimensional model of the human larynx. The computed features of the glottal flow including mean and peak flow rates, and the open and skewness quotients are found to be within the normal physiological range. The flow-induced vibration pattern shows the classical "convergent-divergent" glottal shape, and the vibration amplitude is also found to be typical for human phonation. The vocal fold motion is analyzed through the method of empirical eigenfunctions and this analysis indicates a 1:1 modal entrainment between the "adduction-abduction" mode and the "mucosal wave" mode. The glottal jet is found to exhibit noticeable cycle-to-cycle asymmetric deflections and the mechanism underlying this phenomenon is examined.
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