Atmosphere (Dec 2022)
Numerical Simulation of the Dispersion of Exhaled Aerosols from a Manikin with a Realistic Upper Airway
Abstract
Basic analysis of the flow field and aerosol deposition under different conditions when a spreader contains an upper airway tract is important to accurately predict the transmission of virus-laden aerosols. An upper airway was included to simulate aerosol transport and deposition. A flow field was simulated by the Transition SST model for validation. The simulation results show that, in the absence of the upper airway structure, an over-predicted aerosol deposition rate will occur. Higher upper-stream air velocity enhanced the intensity but added complexity to the recirculating flow between two manikins and increased the deposition rate of aerosol in the disseminator. A low-temperature environment can reduce the deposition rate of aerosol particles on the body of the disseminator due to a strong thermal plume. Therefore, the structure of the upper airway should be considered when predicting respiratory aerosol in order to increase the accuracy of aerosol propagation prediction.
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