Simulating Pathogen Transport with in a Naturally Ventilated Hospital Ward
Understanding how airborne pathogens are
transported through hospital wards is essential for determining the
infection risk to patients and healthcare workers. This study utilizes
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to explore
possible pathogen transport within a six-bed partitioned Nightingalestyle
hospital ward.
Grid independence of a ward model was addressed using the Grid
Convergence Index (GCI) from solutions obtained using three fullystructured
grids. Pathogens were simulated using source terms in
conjunction with a scalar transport equation and a RANS turbulence
model. Errors were found to be less than 4% in the calculation of air
velocities but an average of 13% was seen in the scalar field.
A parametric study of variations in the pathogen release point
illustrated that its distribution is strongly influenced by the local
velocity field and the degree of air mixing present.
[1] G. W. McCoy, "Psittacosis Among the Personnel of the Hygenic
Laboratory," The Journal of Infectious Diseases, vol. 55, no. 2, pp. 156-
167, September 1934.
[2] W. F. Wells, "Air-borne infection and sanitary control," Journal of
Industrial Hygiene, vol. 17, pp. 253-257, 1935.
[3] A. Alani, I. E. Barton, M. J. Seymour, and L. C. Wrobel, "Application of
Lagrangian particle transport model to tuberculosis (TB) bacteria dosing
in a ventilated isolation room," International Journal of Environmental
Health Research, vol. 11, pp. 219-228, 2001.
[4] C. J. Noakes, L. A. Fletcher, C. B. Beggs, P. A. Sleigh and K. G. Kerr,
"Development of a numerical model to simulate the biological
inactivation of airborne microorganisms in the presence of ultraviolet
light," Journal of Aerosol Science, vol. 35, pp. 489-507, 2004.
[5] A. C. K. Lai and Y. C. Cheng, "Study of expiratory droplet dispersion
and transport using new Eulerian modeling approach," Atmospheric
Environment, vol. 41, pp. 7473-7484, 2007.
[6] M. A. Camargo-Valero, C. A. Gilkeson, C. J. Noakes and P. A. Sleigh,
"An Experimental Study of Natural Ventilation Characteristics and
Pathogen Transport in Open and Partitioned Hospital Wards," in
Proceedings of the 9th UK Conference on Wind Engineering, Bristol,
UK, pp.75-58.
[7] D. Etheridge and M. Sandberg, Building Ventilation Theory and
Measurement, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK, 1996, pp. 6-30.
[8] The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Standard for
Verification and Validation in Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat
Transfer, ASME V&V 20-2009, 2009.
[9] B. E. Launder and D. B. Spalding, "The Numerical Computation of
Turbulent Flows, "Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and
Engineering, vol. 3, pp. 269-289.
[10] P. J. Roache, "Perspective: A Method for Uniform Reporting of Grid
Refinement Studies," Journal of Fluids Engineering, vol. 116, pp. 405-
413.
[1] G. W. McCoy, "Psittacosis Among the Personnel of the Hygenic
Laboratory," The Journal of Infectious Diseases, vol. 55, no. 2, pp. 156-
167, September 1934.
[2] W. F. Wells, "Air-borne infection and sanitary control," Journal of
Industrial Hygiene, vol. 17, pp. 253-257, 1935.
[3] A. Alani, I. E. Barton, M. J. Seymour, and L. C. Wrobel, "Application of
Lagrangian particle transport model to tuberculosis (TB) bacteria dosing
in a ventilated isolation room," International Journal of Environmental
Health Research, vol. 11, pp. 219-228, 2001.
[4] C. J. Noakes, L. A. Fletcher, C. B. Beggs, P. A. Sleigh and K. G. Kerr,
"Development of a numerical model to simulate the biological
inactivation of airborne microorganisms in the presence of ultraviolet
light," Journal of Aerosol Science, vol. 35, pp. 489-507, 2004.
[5] A. C. K. Lai and Y. C. Cheng, "Study of expiratory droplet dispersion
and transport using new Eulerian modeling approach," Atmospheric
Environment, vol. 41, pp. 7473-7484, 2007.
[6] M. A. Camargo-Valero, C. A. Gilkeson, C. J. Noakes and P. A. Sleigh,
"An Experimental Study of Natural Ventilation Characteristics and
Pathogen Transport in Open and Partitioned Hospital Wards," in
Proceedings of the 9th UK Conference on Wind Engineering, Bristol,
UK, pp.75-58.
[7] D. Etheridge and M. Sandberg, Building Ventilation Theory and
Measurement, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK, 1996, pp. 6-30.
[8] The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Standard for
Verification and Validation in Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat
Transfer, ASME V&V 20-2009, 2009.
[9] B. E. Launder and D. B. Spalding, "The Numerical Computation of
Turbulent Flows, "Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and
Engineering, vol. 3, pp. 269-289.
[10] P. J. Roache, "Perspective: A Method for Uniform Reporting of Grid
Refinement Studies," Journal of Fluids Engineering, vol. 116, pp. 405-
413.
@article{"International Journal of Architectural, Civil and Construction Sciences:60781", author = "C. A. Gilkeson and C. J. Noakes and P. A. Sleigh and M. A. I. Khan and M. A. Camargo-Valero", title = "Simulating Pathogen Transport with in a Naturally Ventilated Hospital Ward", abstract = "Understanding how airborne pathogens are
transported through hospital wards is essential for determining the
infection risk to patients and healthcare workers. This study utilizes
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to explore
possible pathogen transport within a six-bed partitioned Nightingalestyle
hospital ward.
Grid independence of a ward model was addressed using the Grid
Convergence Index (GCI) from solutions obtained using three fullystructured
grids. Pathogens were simulated using source terms in
conjunction with a scalar transport equation and a RANS turbulence
model. Errors were found to be less than 4% in the calculation of air
velocities but an average of 13% was seen in the scalar field.
A parametric study of variations in the pathogen release point
illustrated that its distribution is strongly influenced by the local
velocity field and the degree of air mixing present.", keywords = "Natural, Ventilation, Pathogen, Transport", volume = "5", number = "7", pages = "303-7", }