Mathematical modeling of mucus transport in airways due to cough: quasi - steady state turbulent condition

Y. Singh, K. Shekhar, A. P. Tyagi

Abstract: In this paper, quasi-steady state models for turbulent flow of air and mucus under time dependent pressure gradient simulating mucus transport in airways due to cough are proposed and analyzed. Both air and mucus are assumed to be incompressible Newtonian fluids. Effect of slip caused either by immotile cilia bed saturated with serous fluid in large airways or surfactant at the wall surface in the smaller airways, on mucus transport is taken into account in the respective models. It is shown that both air and mucus flow rates increase as the magnitude of applied pressure gradient increases. It is found that for a fixed total thickness of air and mucus, mucus transport in the turbulent sub-layer increases as its thickness increases. It is also observed that mucus transport increases as the viscosity of mucus decreases or as the slip coefficient increases.

Series on Biomechanics, Vol.35 No.3 (2021), 69-84

Keywords: cilia bed; laminar flow; Mucus Transport; slip coefficient; surfactant; turbulent flow

Date published: 2021-10-26