Prevention and Control of the Spread of Pathogens in a University of Naples Engineering Classroom through CFD Simulations

Abstract

The design of ventilation and air conditioning systems in university classrooms is paramount to ensure students’ correct number of air changes per hour and an optimal thermal profile for their comfort. With the spread of the COVID-19 virus, these systems will inevitably need to evolve to cope with the current virus and any new airborne pathogens. The aim of this study is to analyze the quality of the ventilation system and the importance of the use of PPE in Lecture Hall C of the University of Naples Federico II compared to the premises in Piazzale Tecchio. After dimensioning the lecture theatre with the Autodesk software AutoCAD 2021, CFD simulations were carried out with the Computational Fluid Dynamics program Ansys 2021 R2. To study the trajectory of virus droplets released by a potentially infected student in the center of the classroom, the multispecies model was used, with carbon dioxide serving as the tracer gas for the virus cloud. After determining the CO2 contour zones at fifteen-minute intervals for a total duration of two hours, the probability of infection was calculated using the Wells–Riley equation.

Keywords

• CFD model
• bioaerosol
• COVID-19
• risk analysis