| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/N02313/01 |
| Title: |
AIRWAY REOPENING:THE REOPENING OF A LIQUID-FILLED BUCKLED TUBE BY A PROPAGATING AIR FINGER |
| Principal Investigator: |
Heil, Professor M |
| Other Investigators: |
|
| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
|
| Project Partners: |
|
| Department: |
Mathematics |
| Organisation: |
Victoria University of Manchester, The |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
16 October 2000 |
Ends: |
15 October 2003 |
Value (£): |
129,235
|
| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Continuum Mechanics |
Development (Biosciences) |
|
| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
|
| Related Grants: |
|
| Panel History: |
|
|
Summary on Grant Application Form |
|
The proposed research is concerned with the physiological problem of 'airway reopening'. Many pulmonary diseases result in the collapse and occlusion of parts of the lung with viscous fluid. The subsequent airway reopening is assumed to occur via the propagation of an 'air finger' into the collapsed, fluid-filled part of the airway. The problem has some similarity to the scenario of the 'first breath' when air has to enter the fluid-filled airways of a newborn baby for the first time.Geometrically non-linear shell theory will be used to model the deformation of the elastic airway walls; the low Reynolds number free surface flow in the elastic tube will be modelled by the Stokes equations and by lubrication theory. The governing equations will be discretised by finite element methods and solved in a fully coupled manner. The system's behaviour will be studied in regions of parameter space which are representative of various diseases. Parameter studies will investigate the overall characteristics of the system (such as the propagation speed of the air finger and the corresponding airway reopening times as a function of the applied bubble pressure) and will provide detailed information of the flow field and the (potentially damaging) stresses acting on the airway wall.
|
|
Key Findings |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
|
Potential use in non-academic contexts |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
|
Impacts |
|
| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
|
| Date Materialised |
|
|
|
|
Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
| Project URL: |
|
| Further Information: |
|
| Organisation Website: |
|