Large Eddy Simulation of Air Escape through a Hospital Isolation Room Single Hinged Doorway—Validation by Using Tracer Gases and Simulated Smoke Videos

Saarinen, Pekka E.; Kalliomäki, Petri; Tang, Julian W.; Koskela, Hannu

Measurements of cross-doorway airflow behavior by other researchers also exist, but with differing geometries, door-opening-closing cycles, and other experimental conditions, making comparisons difficult. However, based on extensive measurements in a water tank model and in a full-scale house, Kiel and Wilson [33] found an analytical formula giving the air volume migration (AVM) due to the combined effect of door-pumping and buoyancy. Their results were based on short door hold-opening times of the order of 1 s. In the isothermal case, without buoyancy, their formula reduces to AVM = 2.3 m 2 s U d , where U d is the velocity of the centre of the door. Tang et al. [22] have performed experiments by scaling down the present geometry to a water tank model, and using Reynolds number equivalent lengths and velocities. Smoke was then replaced by a food dye. They tested four different door constructions with results presented qualitatively using online videos. One of these scenarios can be compared to the present case.