Airborne transmission of pathogens has been a popular research topic recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, the aim was to experimentally compare two different air distribution methods (mixing and displacement) in a six-person meeting room with partial and full occupancy. The measurements were conducted in a full-scale test room at Aalto University, Finland. Mixing ventilation was realized with an overhead perforated duct and a low velocity unit placed on the floor was used for displacement ventilation. A breathing manikin acted as the infected person, releasing sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) that was used as the tracer gas. Two different heat load levels (38 and 60 W/m2) were studied both in two-person and in six-person occupancy. A heated dummy and four heated cylinders represented the other five people in the room and a multigas analyzer was used to measure tracer gas concentrations at their breathing zones. The results show that the concentration was rather uniform across the room with mixing ventilation regardless of other parameters. With displacement ventilation there was a lot of variation especially far away from the low velocity unit and at the higher heat load. Both the highest and the lowest local concentrations were measured with displacement ventilation. Increasing occupancy raised both the average concentration and its variation in the displacement cases.

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Experimental Assessment of Airborne Transmission in a Meeting Room Equipped with Mixing and Displacement Ventilation

  • Simo Kilpeläinen,
  • Weixin Zhao,
  • Sami Lestinen,
  • Risto Kosonen

摘要

Airborne transmission of pathogens has been a popular research topic recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, the aim was to experimentally compare two different air distribution methods (mixing and displacement) in a six-person meeting room with partial and full occupancy. The measurements were conducted in a full-scale test room at Aalto University, Finland. Mixing ventilation was realized with an overhead perforated duct and a low velocity unit placed on the floor was used for displacement ventilation. A breathing manikin acted as the infected person, releasing sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) that was used as the tracer gas. Two different heat load levels (38 and 60 W/m2) were studied both in two-person and in six-person occupancy. A heated dummy and four heated cylinders represented the other five people in the room and a multigas analyzer was used to measure tracer gas concentrations at their breathing zones. The results show that the concentration was rather uniform across the room with mixing ventilation regardless of other parameters. With displacement ventilation there was a lot of variation especially far away from the low velocity unit and at the higher heat load. Both the highest and the lowest local concentrations were measured with displacement ventilation. Increasing occupancy raised both the average concentration and its variation in the displacement cases.