Airborne infection risk of inter-unit dispersion through semi-shaded openings: A case study of a multi-storey building with external louvers

• Published in: Building and environment Vol. 225; p. 109586
• Main Authors: Zheng, Jianwen, Tao, Qiuhua, Chen, Yangui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-11-2022; Published by Elsevier Ltd
• Subjects: Gaseous pollutant; Infection risk; Natural ventilation; Semi-shaded opening; Shading louvers; Semi-shaded opening; Shading louvers; Natural ventilation; Gaseous pollutant; Infection risk
• ISSN: 0360-1323; 1873-684X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.109586

Building design for natural ventilation and indoor air quality have become increasingly important during the past decades. Investigating airflow routes of airborne transmission and evaluating the potential infection risk in the multi-storey building is helpful to the reduction of airborne transmission. Therefore, this study applies computational fluid dynamics simulations to investigate the inter-unit dispersion pattern of gaseous pollutant between different units through semi-shaded openings. The airflow exchange and pollutant dispersion in a multi-storey building is driven by wind-induced natural ventilation. External shading louvers, which are widely used in building facades to reduce heat gain from solar radiation, are chosen to establish the semi-shaded environment. Experimental validation is performed to make sure the accuracy of numerical settings in airflow investigation of semi-shaded openings. The airflow characteristics around semi-shaded openings is analyzed in the numerical simulations. The re-entry ratio of tracer gas and the airborne infection risk of COVID-19 is investigated in the cases with different louvers’ locations and source units. The results show that the airflow is commonly slower in the semi-shaded space between louvers and openings. But the ventilation rate is not always consistent with the airflow speed because of the diversion effect from louver slats. The inter-unit infectious risk in the worst unit rises from 7.82% to 26.17% for windward shading, while it rises from 7.89% to 22.52% for leeward shading. These results are helpful to the further understanding of inter-unit transmission of infectious respiratory aerosols through external openings with complex structures.
•Infection risk is studied for inter-unit dispersion through semi-shaded openings.•CFD methods are validated in the experiment of a cubic building with louvers.•Air characteristics and re-entry ratio are investigated in a multi-storey building.•Louvers and source locations are analyzed for the inter-unit infection of COVID-19.•The highest growth of inter-unit infectious risk rises from 7.82% to 26.17%.