Multi-scale modeling of aerosol transport in a mouth-to-truncated bronchial tree system

Computational fluid particle dynamics (CFPD) is widely employed to predict aerosol transport in a truncated bronchial tree model on account of its capacity to reveal details of flow field and particle movement. However, setting a physiologically consistent boundary condition in the CFPD for the idealized or image-based truncated bronchial tree model is still a challenge. This paper proposes a multi-scale modeling method, which contains an Extend-Bronchial tree-Network (EBN) boundary condition for a mouth-to-truncated bronchi system. The comparison between EBN boundary condition and a commonly used uniform pressure (UP) boundary condition is conducted. Subsequently, EBN method is used to study the nano-micron (100 nm-10 μm) particles transport in the mouth-to-truncated bronchi model at different inhalation volume rates (15, 60, 90 L/min). Results show that EBN method is more physiologically rational and two methods differ in flow distribution in lobes, vortex structure, and particle transport. The maximum difference in flow rate distribution in lobes between two methods is about 20 %, while the maximum relative disparity of particle penetration fraction from lobes and deposition fraction in the TLB is about 93 % and 30 %, respectively. Meanwhile, this paper reveals the variation of deposition fraction and penetration fraction with the changes in particle diameter and inhalation volume. Deposition efficiency, deposition hotspots and deposition mechanism are also analyzed with inlet Stokes number (Stk) and Reynolds number (Re). This research establishes a foundation for the simulation of aerosol transport in a whole respiratory tract and provides references for inhalation drug delivery and air pollutant management.