A computer simulator developed by IIT-Bombay prevents virus spread in enclosed spaces

IIT-Bombay has developed a computer simulator that can stop the spread of viruses in enclosed spaces. According to researchers, there are areas in public restrooms where aerosols carrying Covid-19 can linger ten times longer than in normal restrooms.

Key Highlight:

• IIT-Bombay has developed a computer simulator that can stop the spread of viruses in enclosed spaces.
• Researchers studied airflow inside public washrooms and found dead zones where aerosols carrying virus like Covid-19 can linger ten times more than normal restrooms.
• IIT Bombay researchers created the simulator after analyzing airflow in confined spaces.
• They say that for ten times longer than in typical restrooms, public restroom aerosols can linger in the air, allowing viruses to spread ten times faster.

IIT Bombay has developed a computer simulator that can stop the spread of viruses in enclosed spaces… IIT Bombay researchers created the simulator after analyzing airflow in confined spaces.

Researchers say that for ten times longer than in typical restrooms, public restroom aerosols can linger in the air, allowing viruses like Covid-19 to spread throughout the community ten times faster. It was the aerospace engineering department’s Professor Krishnendu Sinha who said, ” “There are places in a room where fresh air can’t get in, like behind the door, inside cornets, around furniture or behind some other obstruction. There are places in a room where air gets trapped and continues to circulate in a circular motion, even though there are windows, fans, air conditioners, and exhaust fans in the rest of the room. These are known as recirculation zones in the scientific community. Computer simulations from a study were used to identify these areas. “According to the report, this is the case.

The professor began his explanation of the computer simulator by saying, “The air changes per hour (ACH) value is often considered when designing ventilation systems. According to our simulations, some corners don’t get fresh air as quickly as others, so this assumption is incorrect. Fresh air needs to be pumped into these areas quickly if infected people are using it.”

Krishnendu Sinha, Mani Shankar Yadav, Utkarsh Verma, Janani S Murallidharan, and Vivek Kumar were part of the IIT-Bombay research team (from a Pune-based firm). Published in the journal Physics of Fluids, the study examines the effects of recirculation zones on the ventilation of a public restroom.