The effect of altitude and intensity of physical activity on the exergy efficiency of respiratory system
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2013-07-16
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HENRIQUES, I. B.
Carlos Mady
Cyro Albuquerque
YANAGIHARA, J. I.
OLIVEIRA JUNIOR, S.
Carlos Mady
Cyro Albuquerque
YANAGIHARA, J. I.
OLIVEIRA JUNIOR, S.
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Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems, ECOS 2013
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HENRIQUES, I. B.; MADY, C.; ALBUQUERQUE, C.; YANAGIHARA, J. I.; OLIVEIRA JUNIOR, S. The effect of altitude and intensity of physical activity on the exergy efficiency of respiratory system. Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems, ECOS 2013, jul. 2013.
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The effect of altitude on exercise performance of lowlanders has long been discussed, but it is still unclear whether the performance reduction is related to inefficiency of the respiratory system, tissues or both. In the present work, exergy analysis was applied to the human body in order to compare its exergy efficiency under basal conditions and during physical activity at sea level and high altitudes for different periods of acclimatization. Two control volumes were analyzed: the respiratory system, which comprises the lungs and the airways, and the human body as a whole. In the first control volume, the exergy rates and flow rates are associated with the venous blood and the inspired air in the inlet and the arterial blood and expired air in the outlet. An internal exergy variation due to the exergy metabolism of the lung, an exergy transfer rate associated with the metabolism of the lung and the power performed by the respiratory muscles were also taken into account. Analyzing the second control volume, the exergy transferred rate to the environment due to the heat losses by convection and radiation were considered, as well as the exergy flow rate associated with respiration and transpiration. The temperatures of different parts of the body and the heat losses to the environment were obtained from a heat transfer model of the human body. The data concerning gas and blood flows were obtained from a model of the respiratory system. The last one was modified based on medical literature to simulate the response to physical activity at high altitude for different periods of acclimatization, from the first moment that the body is exposed to a high altitude environment to three months of acclimatization. The results obtained indicated that the respiratory system exergy efficiency is reduced at high altitudes and under physical activity, while the exergy efficiency of the body increases for both parameters. Concerning the acclimatization period, its influence was more pronounced in the respiratory system. It was possible to observe a decrease in the exergy efficiency of the respiratory system in the first two days. From this moment on, the efficiency increased continuously until the twentieth day, when it is stabilized and remains constant.