Computational study of flow–induced oscillation of a simplified soft palate

Abstract

Two-dimensional numerical simulations are employed to study fluid structure interaction of a simplified model of the soft palate in the pharynx for uniform inhalation. We take a next step towards a better biomechanical system by modeling the motion of an inextensible flexible plate. The improved structural model discretized by a low order difference method permits us to simulate the two-dimensional motion of the flexible plate. The inspiratory airflow is described by the Navier–Stokes equations for compressible flow solved by a high order difference method. The explicitly coupled fluid structure interaction model is based on the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian formulation.