CFD modelling of ventilation and dust flow behaviour above an underground bin and the design of an innovative dust mitigation system

To mitigate dust contamination in the mine intake roadway, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study was first conducted to understand the ventilation and respirable dust flow behaviour above the bin. Based on the modelling results, two possible solutions were proposed for dust control, one is modifying the ventilation system to dilute the respirable dust particles, and the other is using water mist dust droppers to suppress and capture the majority of the dust particles. Modelling results indicated that respirable dust particles could be significantly diluted at the operators’ breathing level by increasing the ventilation volume from the horizontal air intake, where 10–13 m³/s of air flow rate was suggested to be a preferable quantity. The mechanism of respirable dust capture using water mist was investigated from classical theory and two phase flow theory, respectively, both of which demonstrated a good dust mitigation effect was achievable. CFD models were employed to investigate the flow behaviour of water mists when sprays were oriented at different directions above the bin. An innovative design of dust control system employing water mist technology with four nozzles was proposed and subsequently built for field implementation. An independent field dust evaluation demonstrated that a reduction up to 68% of respirable dust particles has been achieved in the vicinity of the underground bin, and an average of 40% respirable dust reduction along the belt roadway. The successful application of the new dust mitigation system also demonstrates its potential use in underground longwall faces, roadway development and subsurface tunnel excavations by roadheader.     

剧场空间置换空调系统的应用研究之一——地上侧送风方式

本研究针对剧场建筑空间的置换空调方式中两类典型的送风系统（侧送风和座椅送风），以实际工程项目为例，应用实测，实验室实验，CFD等手段进行了考证研究，本文作为第一部分发，以侧送方式的置换空调系统为考察对象，分析了对一可收容560席的音乐大厅实施的实测结果，考证了该空调系统方式的室内温度分布的特征及通风换气效率的优越性，确认了与传统的混合式空调通风系统的结果相比，采用置换空调时呼吸区域的局部空气龄仅为前者的1/3，空间的温度，局部空气龄在水平方向呈均匀分布，在垂直方向上虽存在温度梯度分布，但在舒适性允许范围内（小于3℃）。从而得出结论，即使在人员密集的高热负荷剧场空间，置换空调系统的优势也得到发挥。     

Experimental study of ventilation performance and contaminant distribution of underfloor ventilation systems vs. traditional ceiling-based ventilation system

Ventilation performance and pollutant distribution in a traditional ceiling-type ventilation system, a top-return (TR)-type and a floor-return (FR)-type underfloor ventilation systems were performed in a controlled experimental room. Tracer gas method was utilized to determine the age of air and the contaminant removal effectiveness. Tobacco smoke was also introduced to study the particle-phase pollutant distribution. The TR system delivered conditioned air more efficiently in the occupied zone and exhibited higher gaseous contaminant removal effectiveness. It also showed the lowest smoke particle concentration compared with the other two systems. The FR system showed better ventilation performance over the mixing system at the space that was close to the floor supply outlet and at the lower height level. The FR system was less effective than the TR system in removing buoyant tobacco smoke particles at the upper part of the room indicating its highly localized characteristics. Differences in experimental conditions between the present and the previous studies and their effects on the experimental results are discussed. In general, the experimental data suggested that both types of the underfloor ventilation systems have the potential of improving air quality at the breathing zone over the ceiling-based mixing system with suitable designs. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study shows the possibility of improving indoor air quality using underfloor ventilation systems compared with the traditional ceiling-based ventilation system. However, different configurations of the underfloor ventilation system show various ventilation characteristics. The engineers should consider these features when implementing an underfloor ventilation design. The top-return (TR) configuration improves indoor air quality by creating a displacement-like flow pattern while the floor-return (FR) configuration shows highly localized ventilation characteristics. The FR configuration improved the indoor air quality at spaces near the floor diffusers and up to certain heights.     

Ventilation efficiencies of desk-mounted task/ambient conditioning systems

In laboratory experiments, we investigated two task/ambient conditioning systems with air supplied from desk-mounted air outlets to efficiently ventilate the breathing zone of heated manikins seated at desks. In most experiments, the task conditioning systems provided outside air while a conventional ventilation system provided additional space cooling but no outside air. Air change effectiveness (i.e., exhaust air age divided by age of air at the manikin's face) was measured with a tracer gas step-up procedure. Other tracer gases simulated the release of pollutants from nearby occupants and from the floor covering, and the associated pollutant removal efficiencies (i.e., exhaust air concentrations divided by concentrations at manikin's face) were calculated. High values of air change effectiveness (approximately 1.3 to 1.9) and high values of pollutant removal efficiency (approximately 1.2 to 1.6) were measured when these task conditioning systems supplied 100% outdoor air at a flow rate of 7 to 9 L s-1 per occupant. Air change effectiveness was reasonably well correlated with the pollutant removal efficiency. Overall, the experimental data suggest that these task/ambient conditioning systems can be used to improve ventilation and air quality or to save energy while maintaining a typical level of IAQ at the breathing zone.     

Ventilation effectiveness as an indicator of occupant exposure to particles from indoor sources

Ventilation effectiveness is an indicator of the quality of supply air distribution in ventilated rooms. It is a representation of how well a considered space is ventilated compared to a perfect air mixing condition. Depending on pollutant properties and source position relative to the airflow, ventilation effectiveness can more or less successfully be used as an indicator of air quality and human exposure. This paper presents an experimentally and numerically based study that examines the relationship between ventilation effectiveness and particle concentration in typical indoor environments. The results show that the relationship varies predominantly with airflow pattern and particle properties. Fine particles (1 μm) follow the airflow pattern more strictly than coarse particles (7 μm), and the high ventilation effectiveness indicates better removal of fine particles than coarse particles. When a ventilation system provides high mixing in the space and ventilation effectiveness is close to one, particle sizes and source location have a relatively small effect on particle concentration in the breathing zone. However, when the supply air is short circuited and large stagnation zones exist within the space, the particle concentration in the breathing zone varies with particle size, source location, and airflow pattern. Generally, the results show that for fine particles (1 μm), increase of ventilation effectiveness reduces occupant exposure; while for coarser particles (7 μm), source location and airflow around the pollutant source are the major variables that affect human exposure.     

A comparison between tracer gas and aerosol particles distribution indoors: The impact of ventilation rate,interaction of airflows,and presence of objects

The study investigated the separate and combined effects of ventilation rate, free convection flow produced by a thermal manikin, and the presence of objects on the distribution of tracer gas and particles in indoor air. The concentration of aerosol particles and tracer gas was measured in a test room with mixing ventilation. Three layouts were arranged: an empty room, an office room with an occupant sitting in front of a table, and a single‐bed hospital room. The room occupant was simulated by a thermal manikin. Monodisperse particles of three sizes (0.07, 0.7, and 3.5 μm) and nitrous oxide tracer gas were generated simultaneously at the same location in the room. The particles and gas concentrations were measured in the bulk room air, in the breathing zone of the manikin, and in the exhaust air. Within the breathing zone of the sitting occupant, the tracer gas emerged as reliable predictor for the exposure to all different‐sized test particles. A change in the ventilation rate did not affect the difference in concentration distribution between tracer gas and larger particle sizes. Increasing the room surface area did not influence the similarity in the dispersion of the aerosol particles and the tracer gas.     

Determination of particle concentration in the breathing zone for four different types of office ventilation systems

Many factors affect the airflow patterns, thermal comfort, contaminant removal efficiency and indoor air quality at individual workstations in office buildings. In this study, four ventilation systems were used in a test chamber designed to represent an area of a typical office building floor and reproduce the real characteristics of a modern office space. Measurements of particle concentration and thermal parameters (temperature and velocity) were carried out for each of the following types of ventilation systems: (a) conventional air distribution system with ceiling supply and return; (b) conventional air distribution system with ceiling supply and return near the floor; (c) underfloor air distribution system; and (d) split system. The measurements aimed to analyse the particle removal efficiency in the breathing zone and the impact of particle concentration on an individual at the workstation. The efficiency of the ventilation system was analysed by measuring particle size and concentration, ventilation effectiveness and the indoor/outdoor ratio. Each ventilation system showed different airflow patterns and the efficiency of each ventilation system in the removal of the particles in the breathing zone showed no correlation with particle size and the various methods of analyses used.     

Dispersion of exhalation pollutants in a two-bed hospital ward with a downward ventilation system

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended the use of downward ventilation systems in isolation rooms to reduce the risk of cross-infection from airborne transmissible diseases. The expected airflow pattern of a downward ventilation design would supply cooler and slightly heavier clean air from a ceiling diffuser to push down contaminants, which would then be removed via outlets at floor level. A “laminar” (strictly speaking, unidirectional) flow is expected to be produced to avoid flow mixing and thus reduce cross-infection risk. Experiments were carried out in a full-scale experimental hospital ward with a downward ventilation system to investigate the possibility of applying downward ventilation in a general hospital ward. Two life-sized breathing thermal manikins were used to simulate a source patient and a receiving patient. Computation fluid dynamics was also used to investigate the airflow pattern and pollutant dispersion in the test ward. Based on both experimental and numerical results, the laminar airflow pattern was shown to be impossible to achieve due to turbulent flow mixing and flow entrainment into the supply air stream. The thermal plumes produced above people were found to induce flow mixing. We also studied the effects of the locations of the supply and extraction openings on both the flow pattern and pollutant exposure level in the occupied zone. A number of practical recommendations are suggested.     

Distributions of respiratory contaminants from a patient with different postures and exhaling modes in a single-bed inpatient room

This study investigated contaminant transport and evaluated the ventilation performance in a single-bed inpatient room. The study performed comparative experimental analysis on the distributions of respiratory contaminants breathed out and coughed out by a patient in a full-scale chamber, which simulated a single-bed inpatient room. The contaminant exhaled by the patient was simulated by an SF₆ tracer gas and 3-μm particles at steady-state conditions. The differences in the contaminant distribution between the coughing and breathing cases were insignificant for the mixing ventilation case, while for the displacement ventilation, the contaminant concentrations in the upper part of the room were higher for the coughing case. The contaminant concentrations in the inpatient room for the case with the patient sitting on the bed were lower than those for the patient supine on the bed for the displacement ventilation under the same supply airflow rate. The SF₆ tracer gas and 3-μm particles released at a notable initial velocity for simulating a cough could give similar contaminant distributions in the inpatient room. Therefore, the experimental data can be used to validate a CFD model, and the validated CFD model can be used to investigate transient coughing and breathing processes.     

Distribution of respiratory droplets in enclosed environments under different air distribution methods

The dispersion characteristics of respiratory droplets are important in controlling transmission of airborne diseases indoors. This study investigates the spatial concentration distribution and temporal evolution of exhaled and sneezed/coughed droplets within the range of 1.0 − 10.0μm in an office room with three air distribution methods, specifically mixing ventilation (MV), displacement ventilation (DV), and under-floor air distribution (UFAD). The diffusion, gravitational settling and deposition mechanism of particulate matter were accounted by using an Eulerian modeling approach with one-way coupling. The simulation results indicate that exhaled droplets up to 10μm in diameter from normal human respiration are uniformly distributed in MV. However, they become trapped in the breathing zone by thermal stratifications in DV and UFAD, resulting in a higher droplet concentration and an increased exposure risk to other room occupants. Sneezed/coughed droplets are more slowly diluted in DV/UFAD than in MV. Low air speed in the breathing zone in DV/UFAD can lead to prolonged human exposure to droplets in the breathing zone.     

北方地区教室内空气质量测试与分析

在供暖季测试了哈尔滨某高校典型教室内的温度,相对湿度和二氧化碳、一氧化碳、挥发性有机物、甲醛、可吸入颗粒物、氡的含量,并进行了室内空气质量的问卷调查。分析结果表明,主观调查和测试结果比较吻合,二氧化碳含量对教室内空气质量影响最大,合理控制教室内人员密度和加强通风可以改善教室内空气质量。     

Experimental study on a chair-based personalized ventilation system

Personalized ventilation is expected to improve the quality of inhaled air and accommodate individual thermal preferences. In this paper, a chair-based personalized ventilation system is proposed that can potentially be applied in theatres, cinemas, lecture halls, aircrafts, and even offices. Air quality, thermal comfort, and the human response to this ventilation method were investigated by experiments. By comparing eight different air terminal devices (ATDs) it was found that up to 80% of the inhaled air could be composed of fresh personalized air with a supply flow rate of less than 3.0 l/s. Perceived air quality improved greatly by serving cool air directly to the breathing zone. Feelings of irritation and local drafts could be eliminated by proper designs. Personalized air with a temperature below that of room air was able to bring “a cool head” and increased thermal comfort in comparison with mixing ventilation. Massive applications of this chair-based personalized ventilation system can be envisaged in the future.     

Meeting residential ventilation standards through dynamic control of ventilation systems

Existing ventilation standards, including American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 62.2, specify continuous operation of a defined mechanical ventilation system to provide minimum ventilation, with time-based intermittent operation as an option. This requirement ignores several factors and concerns including: other equipment such as household exhaust fans that might incidentally provide ventilation, negative impacts of ventilation when outdoor pollutant levels are high, the importance of minimizing energy use particularly during times of peak electricity demand, and how the energy used to condition air as part of ventilation system operation changes with outdoor conditions. Dynamic control of ventilation systems can provide ventilation equivalent to or better than what is required by standards while minimizing energy costs and can also add value by shifting load during peak times and reducing intake of outdoor air contaminants. This article describes the logic that enables dynamic control of whole-house ventilation systems to meet the intent of ventilation standards and demonstrates the dynamic ventilation system control concept through simulations and field tests of the Residential Integrated Ventilation-Energy Controller (RIVEC).     

Dispersal of exhaled air and personal exposure in displacement ventilated rooms

The influence of the human exhalation on flow fields, contaminant distributions, and personal exposure in displacement ventilated rooms is studied together with the effects of physical movement. Experiments are conducted in full-scale test rooms with life-sized breathing thermal manikins. Numerical simulations support the experiments. Air exhaled through the mouth can lock in a thermally stratified layer, if the vertical temperature gradient in breathing zone height is sufficiently large. With exhalation through the nose, exhaled air flows to the upper part of the room. The exhalation flow from both nose and mouth is able to penetrate the breathing zone of another person standing nearby. The stratification of exhaled air breaks down if there is physical movement in the room. As movement increases, the concentration distribution in the room will move towards a fully mixed situation. The protective effect of the boundary layer flow around the body of a moving person disappears at low speed, and is reduced for a seated person placed nearby due to horizontal air movements, which can also cause rebreathing of exhaled air for the seated person. The results indicate that the effect of the exhalation flow is no acute problem in most normal ventilation applications. However, exhalation and local effects caused by movement may be worth considering if one wishes to contain contaminants in certain areas, as in the case of tobacco smoking, in hospitals and clinics, or in certain industries.     

Effect of ventilation design on removal of particles in woodturning workstations

Wood processing tasks such as circular sawing and turning that is associated with woodturning operators produce particularly high exposure levels. A computational model including a humanoid and lathe within a test chamber was simulated with monodisperse particles under five different ventilation designs with the aim of reducing the particle suspension within the breathing zone. A commercial CFD code was used to solve the governing equations of motion with a k–ε RNG turbulence model. A discrete Lagrangian model was used to track the particles individually. Measurements to evaluate the efficiency of each ventilation design included total particle clearance and the percentage of particles crossing through the breathing plane. It was concluded that the percentage of particles that cross the breathing plane is of greater significance than the other measurements as it provides a better determination of exposure levels. Ventilation that emanated from the roof and had an angled outlet provided greatest total particle clearance and a low number of particles in the breathing plane. It was also found that the obstruction from the local roof ventilations caused separation of the air that flowed along the ceiling to produce a complex flow region. This study provides a basis for further investigation into the effects of particle size and density on the particle flow patterns and potential inhalation conditions for a given ventilation design.     

Comparison of gaseous contaminant diffusion under stratum ventilation and under displacement ventilation

The gaseous contaminant diffusion under stratum ventilation is investigated by numerical method which is validated by experiments carried out. The concentration of gaseous contaminants along the supply air jet is found to be lower than the other parts of the room. Compared with displacement ventilation, the formaldehyde concentration in breathing zone is lower when a contaminant source locates close to the occupant. The concentration is at the same level when the contaminant source locates up-steam to the occupant. The concentration in the occupied zone (<1.9 m from the floor) is also lower when the contaminant source locates on the floor. At supply air temperature optimized for displacement ventilation, the toluene concentration in breathing zone for stratum ventilation is higher than that for displacement ventilation when the area source locates on the four surrounding walls of the room.     

Protected zone ventilation and reduced personal exposure to airborne cross‐infection

The main objective of this study was to examine the performance of protected zone ventilation (PZV) and hybrid protected zone ventilation (HPZV) to reduce the direct exposure to exhaled air from others' breathing. Experimental measurements are carried out to test the performance of PZV in a full‐scale office room with two breathing thermal manikins. The measurements were performed under three configurations, including two standing manikins at different distances: 0.35, 0.5, and 1.1 m. When the supply air velocity is increased to 4 m/s in the downward plane jet, the dimensionless concentration is 40% lower than for fully mixed ventilation, which can be considered as a measure of protection from the zoning condition. The measurement results showed that in both the PZV and the HPZV system it is possible to decrease the transmission of tracer gas from one manikin to the opposite manikin; therefore, it probably would reduce the risk of air borne cross‐infection between two people at the same relative positions. The results suggest that PZV and HPZV may be used to reduce the exposure of people in a protected zone from indoor pollutants emitted in a source zone.     

生物颗粒在相邻房间运动的数值研究

采用数值计算方法对穿堂风条件下 ,外区房间中性质和SARS病毒类似的生物颗粒的运动情况及其对相邻的内区房间的影响进行分析。对不同的换气次数、不同的室内颗粒初始位置等工况进行了数值分析。结果表明 ,外区房间自然通风换气量的加大 ,可能会导致内区房间的生物颗粒数量增多 ;而颗粒初始位置距离内、外区相邻开口越近 ,运动到内区房间的颗粒数量也越多。     

Distribution of exhaled contaminants and personal exposure in a room using three different air distribution strategies

The level of exposure to human exhaled contaminants in a room depends not only on the air distribution system but also on people's different positions, the distance between them, people's activity level and height, direction of exhalation, and the surrounding temperature and temperature gradient. Human exhalation is studied in detail for different distribution systems: displacement and mixing ventilation as well as a system without mechanical ventilation. Two thermal manikins breathing through the mouth are used to simulate the exposure to human exhaled contaminants. The position and distance between the manikins are changed to study the influence on the level of exposure. The results show that the air exhaled by a manikin flows a longer distance with a higher concentration in case of displacement ventilation than in the other two cases, indicating a significant exposure to the contaminants for one person positioned in front of another. However, in all three cases, the exhalation flow of the source penetrates the thermal plume, causing an increase in the concentration of contaminants in front of the target person. The results are significantly dependent on the distance and position between the two manikins in all three cases. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Indoor environments are susceptible to contaminant exposure, as contaminants can easily spread in the air. Human breathing is one of the most important biological contaminant sources, as the exhaled air can contain different pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. This paper addresses the human exhalation flow and its behavior in connection with different ventilation strategies, as well as the interaction between two people in a room. This is a key factor for studying the airborne infection risk when the room is occupied by several persons. The paper only takes into account the airborne part of the infection risk.     

CFD study of the effects of furniture layout on indoor air quality under typical office ventilation schemes

The relative freshness of indoor air in breathing zone can be measured by ventilation effectiveness. Numerous research articles in literature have investigated ventilation effectiveness under different ventilation schemes, different inlet/outlet positions, and different diffusor types. These researches seem to have a goal to find a solution to optimize ventilation effectiveness through manipulating ventilation system. In reality, however, the occupants of a rented office room have no right to manipulate the ventilation system; instead, they have to accept whatever rented to them. An important issue thus arises: how to improve ventilation effectiveness without changing ventilation system? This paper has built a CFD model about a typical office room, validated it by published experimental data in literature, and then applied it to twelve typical office situations/cases of different furniture layouts under different ventilation schemes. The simulation results of twelve cases show that furniture layout is an important factor in indoor airflow and temperature fields, and the quality of air in breathing zone can be significantly improved by adjusting furniture layout without making any change in ventilation system.