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Air conditioning in public transport vehicles. Numerical simulation of contaminants transport and infection probability.

Number: 2358

Author(s) : VERA J., SCHILLACI E., RIGOLA J., AROLAS M., DEL RIVERO O.

Summary

In this work, a numerical set-up is built to perform transient numerical simulations of air flow and contaminant transport within transport vehicles. In particular the case of a urban bus is proposed and analysed in detail, by studying the probability of infection from SARS-CoV-2 during a typical urban travel. The numerical model is employed to analyse different sources of air inflows, such as a classic air-conditioning with partial recirculation of outside air, or an air control unit which performs a continuous purification of the internal air. Boundary conditions are treated differently to take into account the different effect of each device in terms of air quality and contaminant presence. The air-age is employed to evaluate the overall quality of the air. The generation and transport of airborne infections is considered by adding a quanta transport equation and employing empirical value for quanta exhalation and inhalation rates, as well as a typical emission profile. The infection probability is evaluated by means of an original methodology, based on the Wells-Riley model, that evaluates the infection risk from different possible sources to different target positions. The model is validated by comparison to real experiments evaluating the capability of the air control unit to perform a purification of the environment. Next, two different test cases are proposed, aimed at comparing the difference in the risk of infection with the purification apparatus switched on or off.

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  • Original title: Air conditioning in public transport vehicles. Numerical simulation of contaminants transport and infection probability.
  • Record ID : 30030692
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Technology
  • Source: 2022 Purdue Conferences. 19th International Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Conference at Purdue.
  • Publication date: 2022

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