Biomimetic flow fields for proton exchange membrane fuel cells: A review of design trends

Bipolar Plate design is one of the most active research fields in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) development. Bipolar Plates are key components for ensuring an appropriate water management within the cell, preventing flooding and enhancing the cell operation at high current densities. This work presents a literature review covering bipolar plate designs based on nature or biological structures such as fractals, leaves or lungs. Biological inspiration comes from the fact that fluid distribution systems found in plants and animals such as leaves, blood vessels, or lungs perform their functions (mostly the same functions that are required for bipolar plates) with a remarkable efficiency, after millions of years of natural evolution. Such biomimetic designs have been explored to date with success, but it is generally acknowledged that biomimetic designs have not yet achieved their full potential. Many biomimetic designs have been derived using computer simulation tools, in particular Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) so that the use of CFD is included in the review. A detailed review including performance benchmarking, time line evolution, challenges and proposals, as well as manufacturing issues is discussed.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades ENE2017-91159-EXPMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad UNSE15-CE296

Modelling of heat and mass transfer processes in neonatology

This paper reviews some of our recent applications of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to model heat and mass transfer problems in neonatology and investigates the major heat and mass transfer mechanisms taking place in medical devices such as incubators and oxygen hoods. This includes novel mathematical developments giving rise to a supplementary model, entitled Infant Heat Balance Module, which has been fully integrated with the CFD solver and its graphical interface. The numerical simulations are validated through comparison tests with experimental results from the medical literature. It is shown that CFD simulations are very flexible tools that can take into account all modes of heat transfer in assisting neonatal care and the improved design of medical devices

A poroelastic model coupled to a fluid network with applications in lung modelling

Here we develop a lung ventilation model, based a continuum poroelastic representation of lung parenchyma and a 0D airway tree flow model. For the poroelastic approximation we design and implement a lowest order stabilised finite element method. This component is strongly coupled to the 0D airway tree model. The framework is applied to a realistic lung anatomical model derived from computed tomography data and an artificially generated airway tree to model the conducting airway region. Numerical simulations produce physiologically realistic solutions, and demonstrate the effect of airway constriction and reduced tissue elasticity on ventilation, tissue stress and alveolar pressure distribution. The key advantage of the model is the ability to provide insight into the mutual dependence between ventilation and deformation. This is essential when studying lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary fibrosis. Thus the model can be used to form a better understanding of integrated lung mechanics in both the healthy and diseased states

A mathematical model of the human respiratory system during exercise

This paper describes a respiratory control system model and the associated computer simulations for human subjects during incremental exercise, involving work rates from zero up to the highest level in the heavy exercise domain. Modelling the respiratory control system for conditions above lactate threshold has rarely been attempted because many subsystems begin to lose proportionality in their responses. Our model is built on the basis of putative mechanisms and is based on information identified from a large body of published work. Simulation results are presented and validated using experimental results from published sources. The model confirms that the human body employs an open-loop control strategy for ventilation during exercise, which contrasts with the negative feedback control mode employed for the rest condition. It is suggested that control of ventilation simultaneously involves at least two variables, one being proportional to the pulmonary CO2 output and another being proportional to blood acidity

Numerical Modelling of Species Exchange in a 3D Porous Medium: Modelling Exchange Within the Human Lung

The volume-averaged oxygen transport equation is closed using a volume-averaged form of Fick’s law of diffusion between the air and tissue to simulate species exchange within the lungs’ alveoli using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) 3D conjugate domain model. Pore level simulations of a terminal alveolated duct are used to determine that the transport of inhaled oxygen from the cluster inlet to the alveolar walls is diffusion dominated. The resistance to oxygen diffusion into the tissue is found to be a function of the tidal volume and tissue transport properties, with a maximum respiration frequency at which the full amount of oxygen available can be exchanged per breath dependent on the tidal volume. The simulated exhaled oxygen and carbon dioxide compositions match experimental values for regular resting respiration. Therefore, this model provides a viable new approach to modelling species exchange within the alveoli

Aerosol dynamics simulations of the anatomical variability of e-cigarette particle and vapor deposition in a stochastic lung

Electronic cigarette (EC) aerosols are typically composed of a mixture of nicotine, glycerine (VG), propylene glycol (PG), water, acidic stabilizers and a variety of flavors. Inhalation of e-cigarette aerosols is characterized by a continuous modification of particle diameters, concentrations, composition and phase changes, and smoker-specific inhalation conditions, i.e. puffing, mouthhold and bolus inhalation. The dynamic changes of inhaled e-cigarette droplets in the lungs due to coagulation, conductive heat and diffusive heat/convective vapor transport and particle phase chemistry are described by the Aerosol Dynamics in Containment (ADiC) model. For the simulation of the variability of inhaled particle and vapor deposition, the ADiC model is coupled with the IDEAL Monte Carlo code, which is based on a stochastic, asymmetric airway model of the human lung. We refer to the coupled model as "IDEAL/ADIC_v1.0". In this study, two different ecigarettes were compared, one without any acid ("no acid") and the other one with an acidic regulator (benzoic acid) to establish an initial pH level of about 7 ("lower pH"). Corresponding deposition patterns among human airways comprise total and compound-specific number and mass deposition fractions, distinguishing between inhalation and exhalation phases and condensed and vapor phases. Note that the inhaled EC aerosol is significantly modified in the oral cavity prior to inhalation into the lungs. Computed deposition fractions demonstrate that total particle mass is preferentially deposited in the alveolar region of the lung during inhalation. While nicotine deposits prevalently in the condensed phase for the "lower pH" case, vapor phase deposition is dominating the "no acid" case. The significant statistical fluctuations of the particle and vapor deposition patterns illustrate the inherent anatomical variability of the human lung structure.Peer reviewe

The role of the central chemoreceptor in causing periodic breathing.

In a previous publication (Fowler et aL, 1993), we reduced the classical cardiorespiratory control model of (Grodins et aL, 1967) to a much simpler form, which we then used to study the phenomenon of periodic breathing. In particular, cardiac output was assumed constant, and a single (constant) delay representing arterial blood transport time between lung and brain was included in the model. In this paper we extend this earlier work, both by allowing for the variability in transport delays, due to the dependence of cardiac output on blood gas concentrations, and also by including further delays in the system. In addition, we extensively discuss the physiological implications of parameter variations in the model; several novel mechanisms for periodic breathing in clinical situations are proposed. The results are discussed in the light of recent observational studies. Keywords: Periodic breathing; Cheyne-Stokes respiration; heart-rate variability*, differential-delay equations. 1

Numerical modelling of airflow dynamics and particle deposition in human lungs

Research into airflow dynamics and particle transport in human lungs is receiving considerable attention from many researchers because of its significance for human health. Drug delivery through inhalation of air into the human lung is important to prevent/cure respiratory diseases. Many researchers have investigated the process of particle transport and deposition (TD) in the respiratory airway through analytical as well as numerical methods, during the last century. Nowadays, numerical methods are used to model various biomechanical engineering problems, including particle flow in the respiratory system. The greatest challenge in numerical modelling of particle TD is the complexity of human lungs. This thesis mainly focuses on developing numerical models and investigating the effectiveness of aerosol particle inhalation as drug delivery. Particle inhalation and deposition in human lungs is affected by the lung anatomy, breathing pattern and particle properties (Rissler et al. 2017). Therefore, airflow dynamics and inhaled aerosol particle transport in the lung airways are significant for human health; thus it is important to measure both the efficiency of inhaled drug therapy and the health implications of air pollution (Deng et al. 2018). Further, the lung airways become larger as people grow into adults, and the shape of the airway structure and breathing habits change. Therefore, aging is an important factor in respiratory health. Hence, a comprehensive age-specified particle TD study is necessary to better predict drug delivery to the targeted position in a human lung. This study aims to develop an advanced and efficient three-dimensional (3D) numerical model to analyse airflow characteristics and aerosol particle TD in human lungs. The model is used to analyse the contribution of fundamental impaction and diffusion mechanisms for nanoand microscale particle TD in age-specific terminal bronchiole airways. The outcomes of this study will help improve the effectiveness of delivery of drug aerosols into human lungs to treat obstructive lung diseases including asthma, lung cancer and COPD. In addition, the inhalation of different types of pollutant particles into human lungs is investigated further to understand the consequence of the pollution particle on lung health