AAAR 34th Annual Conference
October 12 - October 16, 2015
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Computational Fluid Dynamics Application for the Prediction of the Evolution of Aerosol Transport in an Indoor Space: Effect of Furniture and Different Surface Types
Andrew Clohessey, Tanvir Farouk, SHAMIA HOQUE, USC
Abstract Number: 572 Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract Extensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of aerosol dispersion in ventilated indoor spaces have been reported in the literature. The results however do not provide guidelines regarding the indoor space design such as furniture orientation, choice of materials for floor covering, office equipment placement etc. Such guidelines will not only ensure a healthy indoor environment (such as lesser dead zones) but also a safer one by reducing the opportunities for re-aerosolization after disinfection (if required in case of the release of an infectious aerosol). This study investigates the evolution of the transport pattern of aerosols with respect to multiple release locations in a furnished office room. The impact of different types of surfaces is also investigated. The objective is to predict the number and pattern of the aerosols remaining in the space after a certain amount of time has elapsed given the furniture orientation, room size, ventilation pattern and surface characteristics. Multiple scenarios were simulated using a comprehensive CFD model. Large eddy simulation with the Smagorinsky subgrid scale model was applied to compute the airflow. Aerosols were modeled as a dispersed solid phase using a Lagrangian treatment. Initially release location is shown to determine the characteristics of the dispersion pattern but after a quarter of an hour the aerosol mixing pattern appears to become similar. The number count relates to the distance of the location of the release to the location of the ventilation outlet. Sticking surfaces resulted in nearly 50% of the aerosols remaining in the room while nearly all aerosols had left the room after ~90 min when surfaces were ‘non-stick’.