Impact of design parameters of diffuse ceiling ventilation systems on indoor air quality in school classrooms: a numerical assessment

Abstract

Indoor air quality directly impacts an individual’s productivity and health condition in office buildings, hospitals, schools, and residential buildings. Diffuse ceiling systems have been used widely in classrooms at schools that have high heat loads. In this regard, this study investigated the role of diffuse ceiling design parameters, including active diffuse panels’ configuration and contamination locations, on indoor air quality in a classroom. The spread of airborne infectious diseases was simulated using computational fluid dynamics techniques. The results revealed that the central configuration of diffuse ceiling panels had the minimum spread of contaminations in the classroom compared to the dispersed configuration.