Bioaerosol Transport and Sensor in Passenger Aircraft

To aid the prevention and mitigation of the next pandemic, aircraft cabins must be continuously designed to ventilate effectively any contaminant dispersed in the air, and eventually allowing the early detection of an event of pathogen spreading using bioaerosol sensors. A RANS simulation, employing a modified k-ε approach and involving a detailed diffuser geometry, was used to accurately simulate the complex behavior of the ventilation jets and compare the results obtained with available experimental data. The modified realizable k-ε turbulence model was validated using quantitative and qualitative methods for a half-row cabin.

Subsequently, a contaminant was continuously injected into the center and side of the 3-row cabin, and ultimately conjugated with the use of gaspers. Briefly, it was found that, if gaspers are normal to the wall, the conjugated effect with the moist air flow vortex and thermal plume creates a condition of still air, thereby promoting diffusion and decreasing dispersion. Finally, either with gaspers turned on or off, the suggested locations for future sensors would be on the ceiling right above the passenger, and in the backseat surface of the front seat.