Numerical analysis of particle deposition in ventilation duct

This paper adopts computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to numerically analyze particle deposition in the ventilation duct. A three-dimensional drift-flux model combined with particle deposition boundary conditions for wall surfaces is presented. The numerical method is used to analyze the particle deposition velocity and deposited particle mass flux in the ventilation duct after validation. Twelve groups of particle size, two average air speeds in ducts are investigated to understand the particle deposition in the straight ventilation duct, which ensures a fully developed turbulent duct flow. And then, the particle accumulation by deposition in the ventilation duct is analyzed according to the cleaning code for air duct system in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems of China. The cases with or without air filter installed are studied by assuming that the duct inlet particle concentration is that of outdoor air in Beijing city, China.     

Modeling deposition of particles in vertical square ventilation duct flows

The presence, flow, and distribution of particle in heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) ducts influence the quality of air in buildings and hence the health of building occupants. To shed a better light on the flow of particles in HVAC ducts this a paper has considered the effects of drag, lift force, gravity, Brownian diffusion, and turbulent diffusion on the dimensionless deposition velocity of particles in smooth vertical ventilation ducts using fully developed and developing velocity profiles. Based on the Reynolds stress transport model (RSM) at two different air velocities, 3.0 m/s and 7.0 m/s, the aforementioned effects were predicted using Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS)–Lagrangian simulation on square shaped ducts under vertical flows.     

Experimental study and numerical investigation of particle penetration and deposition in 90° bent ventilation ducts

Particle deposition in a ventilation duct is a severe problem as it can pose health hazards. This is more evident in 90° bent ventilation ducts. The exposure of particle deposition location in bend section is important and useful in understanding and dispelling particle contamination. This paper investigated particle penetration and deposition in 90° bent ventilation ducts numerically and validated using experimental and previous research data. In the numerical study, particle penetration and deposition in a 2D 90° bend turbulent flow were analyzed. The Renormalized Group (RNG) k-<epsilon > model and Lagrangian particle tracking model were utilized to characterize turbulent gas flow and particle behavior, respectively. Particle turbulent dispersion was introduced by adopting the eddy lifetime model with the near wall fluctuating velocity corrected to take turbulence anisotropy into account. In the experimental validation, particle pollution collected from an actual ventilation duct was observed. The particle penetration rates in a test duct at 6 different Stokes numbers were measured for validation. The numerical results were consistent with both the experimental study and the data obtained from previous research.     

Simulation of particle deposition in ventilation duct with a particle–wall impact model

Particle deposition velocities and locations in horizontal ventilation ducts are investigated by incorporating the effect of particle–wall collision. Particle deposition onto two types of surfaces, stainless steel surface and tedlar surface, are simulated and compared. The RNG k–? model is employed to predict the air turbulence, and the Lagrangian particle tracking method integrated with particle–wall impact model is used to reveal particle physical behaviors. Turbulent dispersion of the particles is taken into account by adopting the discrete random walk (DRW) model. Particle deposition velocities and distributions onto the wall, ceiling and floor are simulated and analyzed. For both stainless steel and tedlar ducts, reasonable agreements are achieved between the simulation data and experimental data for particles with larger relaxation time. Particle deposition velocity is related to particle relaxation time and surface materials. The particle–wall impact model affects the prediction of deposition velocity and distribution. As the effects of Brownian diffusion and turbulent fluctuation on particle deposition are not considered, the presented model applies better to the particles with relatively large relaxation time.     

A computational investigation of particle distribution and deposition in a 90° bend incorporating a particle–wall model

This paper investigates the particle flow movement and deposition in a 90° bend after a straight duct, utilizing the Lagrangian particle-tracking model incorporated with a particle–wall collision model. Particle turbulent dispersion is introduced by employing the ‘eddy lifetime’ model, and particle deposition velocity in the bend is proposed by counting the number of deposited trajectories in a time period. The developed models are validated for both airflow and particle flow by previous experimental data. Particle distribution and deposition behavior at five size groups (1, 3, 5, 9, and 16 μm) are investigated. The simulation results show that, compared with traditional ‘Trap’ model, the particle–wall collision model postpones the emergence and slows the increase of the ‘particle free zone’ as the particle diameter increases. Particle deposition velocity in the duct bend is also generally predicted by the proposed estimation equation under the simulated conditions. This reveals that adopting the particle–wall collision model obtains a reasonable prediction of particle distribution and deposition in the duct bend. This work will benefit the understanding and application of microparticle flow in curved duct systems.     

Particle deposition in ventilation duct onto three-dimensional roughness elements

Gaining insights on particle deposition onto ventilation duct has many important applications. One key pathway by which outdoor polluted air enters the indoor environment is through mechanical ventilation ducts. An experimental system was designed for the study of particle deposition on regular arrays of uniform elements (in the form of discrete protrusions) in a turbulent ventilation duct flow using monodisperse tracer small particles, in the range 0.7–$\text{7.1}\text{μm}$. The Reynolds number for the test conditions was 44,000 in the $\text{150}\text{mm}$ square duct. Four different types of uniform roughness elements were tested. Compared to earlier measurements in the same duct system involving smooth or ribbed surfaces, a significant increase (up to 74 times) in deposition velocity onto the regular roughness elements is observed.     

空调系统通风管道尘粒沉降与沉积的影响因素

空调系统通风管道尘粒的沉积会降低空调系统的性能并影响室内空气品质,掌握含尘气流的流动、沉降规律及在各式结构通风管道中的尘粒沉积规律,对于管道清洁及采取相对应的处理、控制措施减少管道积尘有着重要意义。本文主要对通风管道影响尘粒沉积的诸因素,如尘粒粒径、送风风速和管壁粗糙度等进行了探讨,并对目前有待研究的问题进行了展望。     

气溶胶颗粒在风管系统中沉降的实验研究

气溶胶颗粒是室内外空气中存在的一类重要污染物。为了研究气溶胶颗粒在风管系统中分布和沉降的规律,本文以滑石粉为代表,通过在接近实际工程的矩形镀锌钢板风管系统中释放气溶胶颗粒对其在风管系统中的沉降进行了初步实验研究。实验在不同风速下共进行了两次,并主要在风管系统中的水平直段和局部构件处测量了滑石粉的沉降量。根据滑石粉的沉降量计算出滑石粉的沉降速度,并且对比和分析了不同风速下,风管系统中不同位置的滑石粉的沉降速度。实验表明,气溶胶颗粒在水平直段的底面上的沉降速度最大,侧面上的其次,顶面上的最小;并且气溶胶颗粒的沉降速度随着风速的减小而减小。根据实验数据,分析了影响气溶胶颗粒沉降速的主要因素,包括:风速、沉降面的朝向、局部构件的形状、管道漏风。     

PROBE-PM: A new way to simulate particle transport in ventilation systems

A ventilation system usually runs on a certain schedule. The boundary conditions, such as the time-dependent outdoor particle concentrations and indoor particle generating sources, vary dynamically. Ventilated rooms are connected to ventilation ducts and filters, and indoor particle concentration and particle deposition on duct surfaces are interdependent. Thus it is important to study particle transport in the entire ventilation system and take the dynamic characteristics into account to assess particle pollution in the entire system more accurately. A generalized model is proposed in this study to estimate particle concentration throughout an entire ventilation system as well as mass loading of particles on ventilation components. Model equations describe particle movement in different ventilation components, including filters, ducts, and rooms. Penetration factors are adopted for filters and ducts, and particle concentrations in rooms are calculated by a lumped parameter method. This generalized model can be applied to any ventilation system, and a new software, PROBE-PM, was developed based on the presented model. Four case studies are carried out using this new software to demonstrate the application of the model.     

Effects of the ventilation duct arrangement and duct geometry on ventilation performance in a subway tunnel

This study has investigated numerically the effects of the ventilation duct number and duct geometry on duct ventilation performance in a subway tunnel. A three-dimensional numerical model using the dynamic layering method for the moving boundary of a train, which was validated against the model tunnel experimental data in a previous study, is adopted to simulate train-induced unsteady tunnel flows. For the tunnel and subway train geometries that are exactly the same as those used in the model tunnel experimental test, but with the ventilation ducts being connected to the tunnel ceiling, the three-dimensional tunnel flows are simulated numerically under five different ventilation duct numbers and two different duct geometries. The numerical results reveal that: (1) for a given total area of openings, the ventilation duct number has little influence on the total mass flow of the air sucked into the tunnel through the ventilation ducts while the total mass flow of the air pushed out of the tunnel through the ducts increases remarkably with the increase in the duct number; (2) with the increase of the distance between a specific ventilation duct and the tunnel inlet the suction mass flow through the duct decreases significantly while the exhaust mass flow through the duct increases greatly, i.e., the location of a specific duct has a strong impact on the total suction and exhaust mass flows through the ventilation duct; (3) as the linkage angle between the tunnel ceiling and the upstream side wall of a duct is changed from 90° to 45°, the size of the re-circulation area inside the duct is much reduced when the train approaches the duct and thus the amount of air pushed out of the duct is greatly increased (i.e. the exhaust effect through the duct is remarkably strengthened).     

Effects of the solid curtains on natural ventilation performance in a subway tunnel

Solid curtains can be installed in subway tunnels for the promotion of air ventilation in ventilation ducts in association with the piston effect caused by a running train. With an aim to analyze the effects of solid curtains on duct ventilation performance in a subway tunnel, the current study adopts the tunnel and subway train geometries which are exactly the same as those in a previous model tunnel experiment, but newly incorporates two ventilation ducts connected vertically to the tunnel ceiling and two solid curtains placed at an upstream position of a duct near the tunnel inlet and at a downstream position of another duct near the tunnel outlet, respectively. A three-dimensional CFD model adopting the dynamic layering method for tracking the motion of a train, which was validated against the reported model tunnel experiment in a previous study, is employed to predict the train-induced unsteady airflows in the subway tunnel and in the ducts. The numerical results reveal that the duct ventilation performance in a subway tunnel strongly depends on the operation of the solid curtains. The suction mass flow of the air through the duct near the tunnel inlet and the exhaust mass flow of the air through the duct near the tunnel outlet are increased considerably in the case with the solid curtains in comparison with those in the case without the solid curtains.     

Modeling particle fate in ventilation system—Part II: Case study

In this paper the particle filter group model, which was presented in the first part of this series of study, is employed to predict particle fate in a typical ventilation system. The model simultaneously takes into account the interactions between particle transport in ventilation ducts and rooms and particle spatial distribution. It has been proven that an entire ventilation system, including filters, ducts and rooms, can be regarded as a serial of filters in steady-state cases, hence the name “particle filter group model”. With this model, the particle concentration and quantity of deposited particles in each part of the ventilation system can be easily calculated.     

Particle loading rates for HVAC filters, heat exchangers, and ducts

The rate at which airborne particulate matter deposits onto heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) components is important from both indoor air quality (IAQ) and energy perspectives. This modeling study predicts size-resolved particle mass loading rates for residential and commercial filters, heat exchangers (i.e. coils), and supply and return ducts. A parametric analysis evaluated the impact of different outdoor particle distributions, indoor emission sources, HVAC airflows, filtration efficiencies, coils, and duct system complexities. The median predicted residential and commercial loading rates were 2.97 and 130 g/m(2) month for the filter loading rates, 0.756 and 4.35 g/m(2) month for the coil loading rates, 0.0051 and 1.00 g/month for the supply duct loading rates, and 0.262 g/month for the commercial return duct loading rates. Loading rates are more dependent on outdoor particle distributions, indoor sources, HVAC operation strategy, and filtration than other considered parameters. The results presented herein, once validated, can be used to estimate filter changing and coil cleaning schedules, energy implications of filter and coil loading, and IAQ impacts associated with deposited particles. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results in this paper suggest important factors that lead to particle deposition on HVAC components in residential and commercial buildings. This knowledge informs the development and comparison of control strategies to limit particle deposition. The predicted mass loading rates allow for the assessment of pressure drop and indoor air quality consequences that result from particle mass loading onto HVAC system components.     

On the numerical study of contaminant particle concentration in indoor airflow

The application of three turbulence models—standard k–ε, re-normalization group (RNG) k–ε and RNG-based large eddy simulation (LES) model—to simulate indoor contaminant particle dispersion and concentration distribution in a model room has been investigated. The measured air phase velocity data obtained by Posner et al. [Energy and Buildings 2003;35:515–26], are used to validate the simulation results. All the three turbulence model predictions have shown to be in good agreement with the experimental data. The RNG-based LES model has shown to yield the best agreement. The flow of contaminant particles (with diameters of 1 and 10 μm) is simulated within the indoor airflow environment of the model room. Comparing the three turbulence models for particle flow predictions, the RNG-based LES model through better accommodating unsteady low-Reynolds-number (LRN) turbulent flow structure has shown to provide more realistic particle dispersion and concentration distribution than the other two conventional turbulence models. As the experimental approach to access indoor contaminant particle concentration can be rather expensive and unable to provide the required detailed information, the LES prediction can be effectively employed to validate the widely used k–ε models that are commonly applied in many building simulation investigations.     

The influence of ventilation variables on the volume rate of airflow delivered to the face of long drivages

Auxiliary ventilation is performed by carrying intake or return air in ducts. The complete elimination of air leakage from or into the ducting system is impossible due to duct quality and numerous joints in ducting system. The auxiliary ventilation systems for long drivages often require the use of multiple fans. Fans are installed in series and separated from each other in fixed or variable lengths. There are many methods proposed for the analysis air flow problems in leaky ducts. Due to the lengthy calculations, computers are often needed to conduct the analyses. In this study, a method known as “series–parallel combination of the duct and leakage path” has been introduced and a computer program has been developed based on this method.In order to design the conditions of an auxiliary ventilated drivage, in situ measurement have been made in Western Lignite Enterprises (GLI) OMERLER underground coal mine (Turkey) and the related data necessary for this study was collected. The presently developed program was tested using these data, and it was found that the measured and calculated values are quite close.The effective operational parameters governing auxiliary ventilation have been investigated and the effects of these variables on the volume rate of air flow reaching long drivage face have been examined by using linear regression analysis. Finally, it was concluded that the increase of duct diameter has prime importance in achieving the adequate air flow to the face and that for the auxiliary fans considered in this study the selection of fan does not greatly affect the volume rate reaching the face in a long duct line.     

Modeling fine particle dispersion in an inhomogeneous electric field with a modified drift flux model

Dispersion of ultrafine particles (less than 0.1 μm) and accumulation mode particles (0.1–2.5 μm) remains as an area of major concern to microelectronic and semiconductor industry. A possible means of containing the dispersion of particulate pollutants is to subject them to electrostatic precipitation. The present study is concerned with the dispersion of particles in the presence of an inhomogeneous electric field. The widely accepted drift flux model is used to account for the drift flux induced by the inhomogeneous electric field. The mean turbulent flow field for the present analysis is obtained by solving the re-normalization group (RNG) k–? model with the aid of the open source CFD code – Open∇FOAM version 1.5. In addition to the flow field equations, the Poisson equation for the electric field, the charge continuity equation and the particle concentration equation are solved to obtain a complete solution for the present case. A comparison of the concentration field for a particle size of 0.1 μm with and without electric field reveals the impact of electric field on particle concentration distribution. The simulation results are compared with the available experimental data and numerical results.     

Particle dispersion and deposition in ventilated rooms: Testing and evaluation of different Eulerian and Lagrangian models

Indoor particle dispersion in a three-dimensional ventilated room is simulated by a Lagrangian discrete random walk (DRW) model and two Eulerian models: drift flux model and mixture model. The simulated results are compared with the published measured data to check the performance of the three models for indoor particle dispersion simulation. The deposition velocity of the particles is also computed and compared with published data. The turbulent airflow is modeled with the renormalization group (RNG) k−ε and a zero equation turbulence model. Comparison of the calculated air velocities with measurement shows that both the two turbulence models can simulate the airflow well for the presented case. For the Lagrangian DRW model, a post-process program is used to state the particle trajectories and transfer the results to particle concentration distribution. For Eulerian models, the effect of particle deposition towards wall surfaces is incorporated with a semi-empirical particle deposition model. The comparison shows that both the Lagrangian DRW model and drift flux model yield satisfactory predictions, while the predicted results by the mixture model are not satisfied. The deposition velocity obtained by the three models match the experimental data well.     

Study on biological contaminant control strategies under different ventilation models in hospital operating room

Transmission of airborne bacteria is the main factor causing surgical site infection (SSI). Previous researches have provided evidence of relationships between cleanness of room air and incidence of SSI, but little work has been done to verify the numerical simulation results of particle dispersion. This paper focuses on the airborne transmission of bacteria in two operating rooms during two surgeries: a surgical stitching of fractured mandible and a joint replacement surgery. Field measurement was carried out in two newly built ISO class 5 (OR.A) and class 6 (OR.B) operating rooms. Bacteria collecting agar dishes were put in different places of the two operating rooms to get the deposited bacteria number during the operation. Then numerical simulation was carried out to calculate the particle trajectories using the Euler–Lagrange approach. Simulation results were compared with field measured data, and acceptable level of consistency was found. Then we changed the supply air velocity and supply vent area in the OR.B numerical model under same room air change rate, to compare bacteria colony deposition onto the “critical area”, which consisted of three connected surfaces around the surgical site on patient body. Result showed that improving air flow pattern can reduce particle deposition on critical surface, but its effect is less evident by increasing the air change rate in a certain amount, and we found that bacteria colony deposition would increase (mainly on upper surface), if air velocity increases beyond a certain velocity.     

通风道沉淀问题的研究

通风道内有沉淀物是由于空气中的微粒在靠近通风道壁的边层出现扩散而引起的。作者从通风道的清理、清理的重要性以及沉淀速度等三方面,来说明正常清理才能保持通风器的运转。     

Radial transport processes as a precursor to particle deposition in drinking water distribution systems

Various particle transport mechanisms play a role in the build-up of discoloration potential in drinking water distribution networks. In order to enhance our understanding of and ability to predict this build-up, it is essential to recognize and understand their role. Gravitational settling with drag has primarily been considered in this context. However, since flow in water distribution pipes is nearly always in the turbulent regime, turbulent processes should be considered also. In addition to these, single particle effects and forces may affect radial particle transport.In this work, we present an application of a previously published turbulent particle deposition theory to conditions relevant for drinking water distribution systems. We predict quantitatively under which conditions turbophoresis, including the virtual mass effect, the Saffman lift force, and the Magnus force may contribute significantly to sediment transport in radial direction and compare these results to experimental observations. The contribution of turbophoresis is mostly limited to large particles (>50 μm) in transport mains, and not expected to play a major role in distribution mains. The Saffman lift force may enhance this process to some degree. The Magnus force is not expected to play any significant role in drinking water distribution systems.