Numerical simulation of thermal water delivery in the human nasal cavity

Covello V¹, Pipolo C², Saibene A², Felisati G², Quadrio M¹.

Author Information

Department of Aerospace Science and Technology, Politecnico di Milano, Via La Masa 34, 20156, Milano, Italy.
Otorhinolaryngology Unit, Head and Neck Department, San Paolo Hospital, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via di Rudini 8, 20142, Milano, Italy.

Abstract

This work describes an extensive numerical investigation of thermal water delivery for the treatment of inflammatory disorders in the humannasal cavity. The numerical simulation of the multiphase air-droplets flow is based upon the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) technique, with droplets of thermal water described via a Lagrangian approach. Droplet deposition is studied for different sizes of water droplets, corresponding to two different thermal treatments, i.e. aerosol and inhalation. Numerical simulations are conducted on a patient-specific anatomy, employing two different grid sizes, under steady inspiration at two breathing intensities. The results are compared with published in vivo and in vitro data. The effectiveness of the various thermal treatments is then assessed qualitatively and quantitatively, by a detailed analysis of the deposition patterns of the droplets. Discretization effects on the deposition dynamics are addressed. The level of detail of the present work, together with the accuracy afforded by the LES approach, leads to an improved understanding of how the mixture of air-waterdroplets is distributed within the nose and the paranasal sinuses.