Evaluation of the distribution of COVID-19 particles in an Isolation room to reduce the possibility of transmission via CFD simulation

Abstract

The outbreak and prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has caused a population decline as well as a profound impact on the global economy, the COVID virus spreads highly in the air through the process of sneezing, contact leads to many dangers to the health and safety of people around the world. Many simulation studies have been carried out to predict the risk of spread, as well as to find solutions to limit the infection when spreading sneeze droplets in the air. In this study, the motion and distribution of droplets containing coronaviruses emitted by coughing or sneezing in the isolation room at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam National University were investigated using ANSYS Fluent software. The airflow in the isolation room was simulated by a 3D turbulence model and energy equation using the finite volume method (FVM) with a domain of isolation room solved for appropriate boundary conditions. The effect of ventilation airflow speed and the size of droplets on the distribution of particles in the air were investigated by the Lagrangian particle trajectory analysis method. The CFD analysis result showed that the velocity distribution, turbulent kinetic energy, and flow dynamics had strongly affected the reducing rate of average droplet concentration in the isolation room. Specifically, the study focused on the dispersion of liquid droplets containing the virus under fixed operating conditions of ventilation systems and exhaust fans, with a flow rate of 840 m3/h. Under these conditions, the retention time of liquid droplets was determined to be 37.5 seconds, corresponding to droplet diameters ranging from 5 to 100 micrometres. The results indicate that the presence of particles in the room gradually becomes diluted over time due to the continuous circulation of air. The ability of air to diffuse within the vicinity of the occupant's position and the limited spread of small particles within the room demonstrate that the operating conditions are suitable.