Comparative Study of Droplet-Nuclei with Pathogen and CO₂ Distribution in Infectious Isolation Room

Abstract:

In this article, the distributions of droplet nuclei with pathogens which was evaporated from the droplets released by cough was and trace gas CO₂ were compared to study the airborne characteristics of droplet nuclei. The infectious isolation room model with steady particle source model was built. The particle source was built according to the size distribution of the droplet nuclei with pathogens which was evaporated from the droplets released by cough. The CO₂ source was build at the same location with the particle source and released in the same way. The simulation result showed that the distributions of droplet nuclei and CO₂ which were simulated by CFD were similar under the same ward airflow. This proved that these droplet nuclei could suspend in air and move with airflow. it was feasible to use tracer gas CO₂ as trace gas to solve the validating the numerical simulation of droplet nuclei distribution in infectious isolation room.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volumes 138-139)
• Pages: 1102-1108
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.138-139.1102
• Online since: November 2011
• Authors: Yun Zhe Ji, Xiao Jie Wang, Yun Ping Wang
• Keywords: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Droplet Source, Size Distribution, Tracer Gas, Velocity Field

References

[1] Ryan, K. J. ed. Sherris Medical Microbiology. Norwalk: Appleton & Lange, (1994).

[2] Mandell, G. L. ed. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. New York: Wiley, (1985).

[3] Duguid, J. P. The size and the duration of air-carriage of respiratory droplets and droplet nuclei., Journal of Hygiene 54 (1945): 471-479.

DOI: 10.1017/s0022172400019288

[4] William C. Aerosol technology : properties , behavior , and measurement of airborne particles. New York : Wiley , (1982).