This example illustrates the blood flow solution over the pulmonary capillaries of a single alveoli. The method of Huang et al. (2001) is used to solve for blood flow within the previously developed pulmonary capillary mesh (see example 9812). An iterative procedure is used, taking into account the hematocrit (red blood cell (RBC) concentration) and capillary dimensional changes in each segment.

This solution procedure determines the pressure at each junction (node) the flow and RBC concentration in each segment (element), and RBC and neutrophil transit time distributions across the network. The dimensional model is this solution procedure calculates the capillary diameters as a result of the capillary, alveolar and pleural pressures.

Flow solution field (Spectrum: red=maximum flow, dark blue=no flow)

To create an image in order to visualise the results of the simulation, use draw.com.

Developed by Kelly Burrowes, 02/2003.