Assessment of Safe Person Spacing Limiting Respiratory Germs Spreading Using CFD Numerical Simulation

Abstract

This work deals with the use of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) to assess the viruses and microbes spreading in function of the spacing between persons in closed spaces and the velocity of saliva and nasal mucus projections. Navier-Stokes equations are numerically implemented in order to simulate the propagation of saliva and nasal mucus projection between two persons. Numerical simulations have allowed evaluating the effect of the persons spacing (d= 2 m, d=4 and d=6 m) and the saliva/nasal mucus projection velocity (V= 0.5 m/s, V= 1 m/s, V= 2 m/s and V=4 m/s) on the level of prevention against the risk of picking up viruses or microbes. Results are discussed and deeply interpreted. It has been shown that a person spacing in the order of 2 m could be not sufficient to ensure a full prevention against viruses and microbes. Upon the results found, it is shown that a distance between two persons in the order of 2 m may not be sufficient to ensure a full protection against the viruses and microbes spreading. Despite the fact that the level of prevention against viruses and microbes spreading is very high when the projection velocity is in the order of V=0.5 m/s, it is altered when the projection velocity is around V= 1 m/s, it is considerably altered when the projection velocity is in the order of V= 2 m/s and it is highly altered when the projection velocity is in the order of V=4 m/s. The results presented in this article are compared to previous works in the same research field.
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