Heat and Water Vapor Transfer in the Human Respiratory System at Hyperbaric Conditions.

Abstract

Heat and mass transfer mechanisms are characterized in physical models of the human upper respiratory tract (nares to trachea) and lower respiratory tract (main bronchus to alveoli) to simulated depths of 305 meters with various gas mixtures. Such characterizations offer a detailed understanding of the effects of environmental pressures, gas composition, and respiratory rates on the body cooling capacity of the respiratory airways. The Chilton-Colburn j-factor is used to derive corresponding mass transfer data from the experimental recordings (Author).