Computational Analysis And Simulation Of Toxic Particle Deposition In The Human Respiratory System

Jet fuel with its performance enhancers is highly toxic and when inhaled may pose a significant health risk. Thus, for a scientific assessment of possible health effects from fuel exposure, it is crucial to know where and at what concentrations fuel aerosols and their vapors deposit in the human respiratory system in light of realistic inlet conditions. In contrast to human testing, and/or experimental deposition studies, computational fluid- particle dynamics (CFPD) simulations offer a non-invasive, less expensive, and effective means of obtaining fuel vapor and droplet transport and deposition data for representative airways. Focusing on JP-8 fuel deposition in a representative human upper airway model, experimentally validated CFPD results are provided for the airflow fields, JP-8 fuel droplets, and-JP-8 fuel vapor under realistic ambient conditions. The 3-year-project conclusions, documented in 14 journal articles and 10 conference papers, are divided into three sections, i.e., fundamentals/discoveries, JP-B fuel impact, and technology transfer.