Title: Estimation of exergetic behaviour of the human respiratory tract

Authors: Subhajit Banerjee; Sudhir Chandra Murmu; Himadri Chattopadhyay; Abhijit Dutta

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Greater Kolkata College of Engineering and Management, Baruipur, South 24 Pgns. 700084, India; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, MCKV Institute of Engineering, Howrah 711204, India

Abstract: The present work analyses the exergetic behaviour of the human respiratory system, including chemical exergy transfer during alveolar gas diffusion. The trends of entropy generation and exergy destruction in the respiratory tract due to airflow for different physical activity levels have been assessed. Furthermore, the effect of inhaled air temperature on tracheal exergy destruction has been assessed. The study for the first time extends the concept of exergetic efficiency for human respiratory tract, which accounts for energy losses in the branches of the trachea. The findings indicate that human lung efficiency decreases as physical activity levels rise.

Keywords: exergetic efficiency; respiratory system; entropy generation; lung disorder; physiological condition; HB; transfer.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2025.146406

International Journal of Exergy, 2025 Vol.47 No.1, pp.12 - 30

Received: 26 Aug 2024
Accepted: 12 Oct 2024
Published online: 28 May 2025 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article