The invited talk will highlight our research achievements in the fields of indoor fluid dynamics and air purification, aimed at mitigating the spread of airborne diseases. This work builds on the close collaboration between our research group and Indian academic and industrial partners, including IITR, IITM, VIT, and the SME Magneto. Together, we have developed technological solutions to combat the transmission of airborne diseases, while addressing robustness and challenges posed by climate change.

The abstract of the talk is provided below.

Abstract: The recent COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical importance of understanding the role of room fluid dynamics in the transmission of airborne diseases and how this knowledge can inform the development of effective air purification strategies to block transmission pathways. High-fidelity computational fluid and particle dynamics simulations, coupled with Schlieren flow visualisations, are employed to demonstrate the influence of thermal plumes emitted by occupants and their interaction with the ceiling in spreading airborne pathogens. A novel approach for estimating airborne disease infection risk is introduced, which avoids the inherent assumptions of well-mixed air and quantas in the Wells-Riley model, making it more suitable for high-fidelity simulations. Generic indoor environments, including a small office and a midsize classroom, are analysed to examine fluid dynamics, the impact of ventilation, and the effectiveness of upper-room UVC air purification. The findings reveal that the efficiency of upper-room UVC air purification can be significantly enhanced with the use of fans, although caution is necessary when combining fans with ventilation, as they may not always work in harmony. Finally, a brief analysis of thermal comfort relevant to UK summers is presented.