Experimental simulation of the human respiration system

Research and development activities in the overall context of improving indoor environmental quality (e.g. buildings, trains, cars etc.) have been in the interest of scientists and manufactures for many decades. Besides the thermal conditions, the indoor air quality affects the comfort, health and productivity of humans. Modern passenger trains are already taking this aspect into account by adjusting the volume flow rate of the supplied fresh air based on interior CO2 values. The rapidly developing situation of the corona pandemic in 2020 also leads to the fact that studies regarding air quality, air pollution level and airborne transmission of infectious agents become more and more relevant. Through the interaction of different flow mechanisms caused by natural convection around the human body, the human’s expiration and the ventilation system affect the air’s enthalpy level and the chemical parameters. Hence, a mobile respiration device for thermal manikins was developed and tested at the DLR in Gottingen in order to simulate the human respiration process.