Analysis of an indoor air decontamination device inside an aerobiology chamber: a numerical-experimental study

Abstract

This study developed a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to assess the impact of the site of location of a commercial device (HEPA filter/ultraviolet light) on its capacity for microbial decontamination of indoor air. The three locations of the air decontamination device (ADD) in the aerobiology chamber were at the center, the middle of one of the lateral sides, and at the middle of the side in front of the axial air circulating fan. The findings were then compared to the experimental data generated in an earlier study on the same device using aerosolized Staphylococcus aureus as the challenge. The findings of the CFD model were strongly correlated to the experimental results, and the best site for the ADD was found to be at the middle of one of the lateral sides of the chamber. In this state, the microbial decontamination efficiency of the ADD was 99.46%. Additionally, this modeling study identified (a) the device’s optimal location in the chamber for microbial decontamination and the device’s effectiveness, (b) the axial fan’s location and its ability to uniformly distribute the airborne bacteria inside the chamber, and (c) suitability of the air samples collecting from the chamber’s center. The incorporation of this model could boost the design and construction of the chamber, reduce the need for laboratory experimentation, and also help to simulate and investigate an ADD’s efficacy for maximum reduction of airborne pathogens.