HVAC of an Operating Room HVAC Description

This problem simulates the HVAC of an operating room by ANSYS Fluent software. We perform this CFD project and investigate it by CFD analysis.

In the present case, we model an operating room HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning). This room uses an air conditioning system to contain the equipment and persons, including the doctor and patient.

The system uses a laminar flow to purify the operating room's air. A linear air curtain flow prevents contaminated flow into the fresh air. The source of the contaminants gases is assumed on the patient's body. The inlet air moves from the top to the bottom of the operating room for the clearing process.

Then, it transfers contaminated gases and particles around the patient to the room's corner. Air-curtain prevents polluted air from returning to the room. Eventually, the polluted air leaves the lower part of the room. The geometry of the present model is drawn by Design Modeler software.

This geometry is related to the hospital room with an HVAC system. The model is then meshed by ANSYS Meshing software. The model mesh is unstructured, and 4137570 cells have been created.

Method

The Species Transport model is generally used to analyze the behavior of different species simultaneously. Therefore, since the present model's primary purpose is to investigate the distribution of pollutants, oxygen, nitrogen, and air humidity in the operating room space, this model should be used. Several gas species can be defined using this model as a set of transfer equations.

After applying the species transfer model, oxygen, nitrogen, vapor, and pollutant gases are determined.

HVAC of an Operating Room Result

After simulation, contours of velocity, pressure, temperature, and species mass fraction (including oxygen and contaminants) are obtained. Also, velocity vectors are provided in a 2D plane. The temperature contour indicates that the incoming airflow of the air conditioning system cools the air around the patient's body with high heat.

So this system has succeeded in doing the cooling process properly. Velocity vectors show that fresh air flows from the panels on the ceiling into the room's space and moves to the sides. This movement causes contaminants to spread to the patient's surface.

The air curtain is then formed according to the mechanism of this type of system and prevents the return of pollutants to the patient's body by creating a strong airflow. As a result, airflow circulates in the sides of the room and is directed towards the outlet panels.

In addition, the study of the contour mass fraction of contaminants shows that the behavior of pollutants is entirely consistent with velocity vectors. The air conditioning system (HVAC) properly removes contaminants from the patient's body and directs them to the outside environment.