Abstract
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, guaranteeing thermal comfort and low CO2 levels in classrooms through efficient ventilation has become vitally important. This study presents three-dimensional simulations based on computational fluid dynamics of airflow inside an air-conditioned classroom located in Veracruz, Mexico. The analysis included various positions of an air extractor, Reynolds numbers up to 3.5 × 104, four different concentrations of pollutant sources, and three different times of the day. The simulations produced velocity, air temperature, and CO2 concentrations fields, and we calculated average air temperatures, average CO2 concentrations, and overall ventilation effectiveness. Our results revealed an optimal extractor position and Reynolds number conducive to thermal comfort and low CO2 levels due to an adequate ventilation configuration. At high pollutant concentrations, it is necessary to reduce the number of students in the classroom to achieve safe CO2 levels.
Highlights
Over the past twenty years, in the context of climate change associated with the use of energy obtained from fossil fuels, many studies on non-isothermal flows in spaces have addressed the problem of how to achieve thermal comfort while optimizing energy use
The flow patterns for this configuration show better air distribution inside the classroom, as the airflow circulates from the center of the south wall moving toward the east wall, proceeds to the north wall, where it changes direction toward the west wall; and when it collides with this last wall, the airflow changes direction again toward the south wall, where it rises toward the extractor
The stream that travels along the west wall has a long trajectory since, when it collides with the north wall, it travels along this entire wall until it reaches the east wall, where it rises toward the extractor
Summary
Over the past twenty years, in the context of climate change associated with the use of energy obtained from fossil fuels, many studies on non-isothermal flows in spaces have addressed the problem of how to achieve thermal comfort while optimizing energy use. These studies should take into account air quality, especially in closed spaces where large numbers of people are present, often involving high CO2 values Before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, millions of students around the world attended classrooms requiring energyefficient ventilation systems that guaranteed thermal comfort and low levels of pollutants, such as CO2. The pandemic has made it more imperative than ever to ensure low levels of CO2 since this parameter can serve as an indicator of the risk of contagion among the academic community in schools, universities, and other higher education institutions.
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