Simulations of the Flow in a Human Nose

Abstract

The human nose is a very complex organ. The main airways together with a multiplicity of nasal cavities and sinuses are involved in the various functions of the nose. It warms and humidifies the inspired air, filters out small particles and supports the olfaction process by transporting odor-bearing particles to the muscous membranes. The flow simulations presented in this paper are based on the geometry of a real human nose. Based on a series of CT images, a body-fitted, hybrid numerical grid was built up. The DLR THETA code is used to simulate the unsteady flow inside the nose. The transport of a marker gas is simulated to visualise the entrainment of air from the sinuses to the inspired air.