Abstract
The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of surgical staff on the indoor air quality in a uni-directional ventilation Operating Theatre (OT). Experimental measurements of particles and microclimate were acquired at rest and in operational conditions. The real OT (operational) use was simulated by a sham hip arthroplasty. CFD simulations were carried out outlining the studied environment used for experimental measurement campaign. A standard k-ε closure scheme based on RANS equations was implemented to solve the velocity and pressure field using an eddy viscosity approach. Temperature and relative humidity distributions were also computed keeping into account sensible and latent heat sources inside the OT. An Euler-based approach was applied to solve the concentration fields of gaseous contaminant and small particles (up to 5 μm in diameter) in the indoor air. An innovative strategy is proposed to estimate, by an iterative comparison between experimental data and numerical results, the emission rate of particles (differentiated by diameters) released by the occupants to be considered as source terms in the numerical model. Compliance with literature evidence concerning thermal and velocity fields and CO2 concentration was confirmed. From our analyses, some IAQ indexes were deduced, allowing monitoring of the local and overall OT air quality level supplied by the ventilating system during real operational conditions. The highest values of microbial air contamination were recorded during surgical activity; nevertheless, results showed the suitability of the ventilation system in providing the expected air quality.
Highlights
The study of ventilation performance for indoor air quality (IAQ) and contaminant removal in Operating Theatres (OTs) connected to definition and quantification of the contaminant sources under effective use conditions is a complex task
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation concerning aerosol particle transport and diffusion processes can be solved by three main different numerical approaches
An experimental and numerical environmental study of a real OT carried out in “at rest” and “operational” conditions allowed the evaluation of the “impact” of medical staff on environmental conditions
Summary
The study of ventilation performance for indoor air quality (IAQ) and contaminant removal in Operating Theatres (OTs) connected to definition and quantification of the contaminant sources under effective use conditions is a complex task. CFD simulation concerning aerosol particle transport and diffusion processes can be solved by three main different numerical approaches. There are not many articles in the literature concerning numerical modelling in which the contaminant concentration for the IAQ analysis has been performed starting from sources of particle emission with a distribution dependent on particle diameter [19] [20]. A recent study provides the quantification of size-resolved particle concentrations in indoor air of a classroom under occupied and vacant conditions [19]. Another important numerical study provides information on airflow, particle deposition and movement in two different spaces equipped with displacement and mixing ventilation modes [20]. A discrete trajectory model combined with the Eulerian method is adopted for simulating the indoor aerosol particle concentration
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