AAAR 35th Annual Conference October 17 - October 21, 2016 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
Effect of Ventilation Type and Air Change Rate on Particle Transport in Breathing Zone between Office Occupants
FIROZA OMAR, Shamia Hoque, Univ. of South Carolina
Abstract Number: 327 Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract Two-dimensional and three dimensional computational simulations are performed to investigate the velocity profile, trajectory and behavior of aerosol particles released in an office space from an occupant. An Eulerian – Langrangian framework is applied for the simulations. The particle movement pattern and the fraction of stagnant air locations are analyzed for mixing and displacement ventilation with varying air change per hour (ACH) in multiple work space designs. The effect of the presence of furniture in a space is also been investigated. The study results show that for mixing and displacement ventilation both ACH and furniture presence has significant effect on the number of particles staying in the breathing zone thus influencing infection rates of office occupants. The influence of temperature difference between inlet air and room air and the impact of the evaporation of droplets released due to sneezing are currently being investigated. The study results illustrate that only focusing on ACH will not ensure the well-being of the occupants regarding exposure to aerosols released in the room. The interior design i.e. furniture orientation, the air inlet and outlet locations and safe space distribution between the working zones can have an equal or even more significant role in determining the most effective, energy efficient and healthy indoor layout.