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Journal of Experimental Biology 49,617-629 (1968)
Published by Company of Biologists 1968

The Kinematics and Dynamics of Ciliary Fluid Systems

C. E. MILLER ¹

¹ Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, New York

1. The difficulties of directly applying the methods of Newtonian mechanics to solve the problem of mucus flow in the mammalian trachea are discussed.

2. In order to circumvent these difficulties, a sophisticated model of the mucociliary system, called the circular rheociliometer, was constructed. A brief account is given of the model and the homomorphic relation it has to the mucociliary system of mammal.

3. Kinematic experiments are described in which observations on the model are compared with observations on the mucociliary system of the cat's trachea.

4. A coefficient of energy, which is the ratio of energy loss in the fluid to the kinetic energy supplied by the cilia, is developed. The coefficient of energy is plotted against the Reynolds number for the model and for the cat's trachea. It is shown that both sets of data fall within the same range of Reynolds numbers.

5. Based on other kinematic and dynamic similarities, which are shown to exist between the two systems, a hypothetical mechanical exemplar of the mucociliary system is derived.