Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow Due to Blade-Shaped Waving of Cilia in Human Lungs

The mucociliary clearance system is an innate defense mechanism in the human respiratory tract, which plays a crucial role in protecting the airways from infections. The clearance system secretes mucus from the goblet cells, which scatters in the respiratory epithelium to trap foreign particles ente...

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Main Authors: Nisachon Kumankat, Nachayadar Kamolmitisom
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Mathematics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/11/1703
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author Nisachon Kumankat
Nachayadar Kamolmitisom
author_facet Nisachon Kumankat
Nachayadar Kamolmitisom
author_sort Nisachon Kumankat
collection DOAJ
description The mucociliary clearance system is an innate defense mechanism in the human respiratory tract, which plays a crucial role in protecting the airways from infections. The clearance system secretes mucus from the goblet cells, which scatters in the respiratory epithelium to trap foreign particles entering the airway, and then the mucus is removed from the body via the movement of cilia residing under the mucus and above the epithelium cells. The layer containing cilia is called the periciliary layer (PCL). This layer also contains an incompressible Newtonian fluid called PCL fluid. This study aims to determine the velocity of the PCL fluid driven by the cilia movement instead of a pressure gradient. We consider bundles of cilia, rather than an individual cilium. So, the generalized Brinkman equation in a macroscopic scale is used to predict the fluid velocity in the PCL. We apply a mixed finite element method to the governing equation and calculate the numerical solutions in a two-dimensional domain. The numerical domain is set up to be the shape of a fan blade, which is similar to the motion of the cilia. This problem can be applied to problems of fluid flow propelled via moving solid phases.
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spelling doaj-art-eab2d21c981746fdbd557a45e185ec952025-08-20T02:23:44ZengMDPI AGMathematics2227-73902025-05-011311170310.3390/math13111703Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow Due to Blade-Shaped Waving of Cilia in Human LungsNisachon Kumankat0Nachayadar Kamolmitisom1Department of Mathematics, School of Science, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, ThailandDepartment of Mathematics, School of Science, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, ThailandThe mucociliary clearance system is an innate defense mechanism in the human respiratory tract, which plays a crucial role in protecting the airways from infections. The clearance system secretes mucus from the goblet cells, which scatters in the respiratory epithelium to trap foreign particles entering the airway, and then the mucus is removed from the body via the movement of cilia residing under the mucus and above the epithelium cells. The layer containing cilia is called the periciliary layer (PCL). This layer also contains an incompressible Newtonian fluid called PCL fluid. This study aims to determine the velocity of the PCL fluid driven by the cilia movement instead of a pressure gradient. We consider bundles of cilia, rather than an individual cilium. So, the generalized Brinkman equation in a macroscopic scale is used to predict the fluid velocity in the PCL. We apply a mixed finite element method to the governing equation and calculate the numerical solutions in a two-dimensional domain. The numerical domain is set up to be the shape of a fan blade, which is similar to the motion of the cilia. This problem can be applied to problems of fluid flow propelled via moving solid phases.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/11/1703periciliary layerciliamoving solid phaseBrinkman equationmixed finite element method
spellingShingle Nisachon Kumankat
Nachayadar Kamolmitisom
Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow Due to Blade-Shaped Waving of Cilia in Human Lungs
Mathematics
periciliary layer
cilia
moving solid phase
Brinkman equation
mixed finite element method
title Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow Due to Blade-Shaped Waving of Cilia in Human Lungs
title_full Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow Due to Blade-Shaped Waving of Cilia in Human Lungs
title_fullStr Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow Due to Blade-Shaped Waving of Cilia in Human Lungs
title_full_unstemmed Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow Due to Blade-Shaped Waving of Cilia in Human Lungs
title_short Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow Due to Blade-Shaped Waving of Cilia in Human Lungs
title_sort two dimensional fluid flow due to blade shaped waving of cilia in human lungs
topic periciliary layer
cilia
moving solid phase
Brinkman equation
mixed finite element method
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/11/1703
work_keys_str_mv AT nisachonkumankat twodimensionalfluidflowduetobladeshapedwavingofciliainhumanlungs
AT nachayadarkamolmitisom twodimensionalfluidflowduetobladeshapedwavingofciliainhumanlungs