Sunday, June 25, 2017: 9:45 AM-10:45 AM
Building Life Safety Systems
Chair:
Sonya Pouncy, Energy Sciences
Healthcare facilities have unique requirements for HVAC systems that are not found in other industries. In addition to thermal comfort, normal IAQ and similar considerations, healthcare facilities have needs due to their occupants and operation. Patients with depressed immune systems and surgical rooms, to name a couple, need extra care taken in air quality. This session illustrates elements of healthcare facility HVAC design to accommodate those needs and advances in healthcare HVAC systems.
1 Analysis of HVAC Configurations for a Hospital Operating Room (LB-17-C004)
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Kishor Khankari, Ph.D., AnSight LLC |
Airflow patterns within the hospital operating rooms (OR) determine the levels of air speed, temperature, and flow path of contaminants to and from the sterile and non-sterile zones. This paper with the help Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis analyzes the effect of various HVAC configurations on the resulting airflow pattern, temperature distribution, and importantly flow of path of contaminants between the sterile and non-sterile zones. With the help of airflow visualization this paper shows the effective flow path of the contaminants. The analysis provided in this paper is useful to practicing engineers in the healthcare industry in designing the HVAC systems for the operating rooms.
2 An Efficient Ventilation Configuration for Preventing Bioaerosol Exposures to Health Care Workers in Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms (LB-17-C005)
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Deepthi Sharan Thatiparti, University of Cincinnati |
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Urmila Ghia, Ph.D., University of Cincinnati |
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Kenneth R. Mead, Ph.D., P.E., CDC- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
An Efficient ventilation configuration of an Airborne Infection Isolation Room (AIIR) is essential for protecting Health care workers (HCW) from exposure to potentially-infectious patient aerosol. This paper presents the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study to predict airflow distribution patterns throughout the AIIR, air velocity vectors in the HCW’s region, streamline of an air particle from patient’s infectious source and the comfort working conditions for the HCW for a range of AIIR ventilation configuration design challenge.
3 Cross Infection Due to Pathogen Transport in Indoor Environments: Investigative Study Assessing Impact of Ventilation Type, Air Changes and Furniture Layout (LB-17-C006)
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Shamia Hoque, Ph.D., University of South Carolina |
Buildings impact human health. The design and operation of an indoor environment influences occupants’ well-being. Aerosol transmission has been defined as “person to person transmission of pathogens through the air by means of inhalation of infectious particles”. The source may be an infected person such as a flu sufferer sneezing. Aerosol generation can also happen via coughing, laughing or just exhaling. This paper focuses on investigating the spread of aerosols after sneezing in a ventilated office space and the length of time they reside in the breathing zone thus estimating the possibility of infection of another occupant.