Investigation on airflow distribution for operating rooms through numerical simulation and field measurement

¹ Graduate Institute of Precision Manufacturing, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Taiwan
² Department of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, and Energy Engineering, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Taiwan

^* Corresponding author: fjwang@ncut.edu.tw

Abstract

Operating rooms in hospitals are vital for maintaining controlled indoor conditions and preventing infections. This study assesses the pressurization, temperature, humidity, air exchange, and particle levels in a local hospital’s operating rooms. By combining on-site measurements and computer simulations, the research provides a comprehensive analysis, including an examination of HVAC system improvement. Results reveal that the updated HVAC system markedly enhances pressurization management, notably reducing infection risks, especially during door opening. Computational fluid dynamics simulations also identify airflow disruptions from equipment, proposing improvements like adjusting the return air height and optimizing the air curtain with various incident angles around the High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter above the operating table. Findings emphasize the importance of maintaining a 40 cm high return air grille to minimize contamination stagnation and a 45° inclined air curtain to enhance contamination control effectiveness throughout the operating rooms.