Steady Flow Through Modeled Glottal Constriction

Abstract

The airflow in the modeled glottal constriction was simulated by the solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations for laminar flow, and the corresponding Reynolds equations for turbulent flow in generalized, nonorthogonal coordinates using a numerical method. A two-dimensional model of laryngeal flow is considered and aerodynamic properties are calculated for both laminar and turbulent steady flows. Three configurations of vocal folds, corresponding to convergent, parallel or rectangular, and divergent glottis are used to study the effects of glottal shape on the airflow. Results are reported for several types of calculations. Results are obtained for the velocity and pressure distributions, and friction coefficient and turbulent kinetic energy in the constriction. Flow separation was found to exist even at low Reynolds numbers, and the separation region grew in size with increasing Reynolds number. The glottal shape has a marked influence on the flow pattern and the pressure drop.