The flow path of supply air determines thermal comfort, air quality and potential for transmission of airborne pathogens in the patient room, according to an article on the Medical Construction & Design website.

Airflow patterns within a patient room can depend on a wide range of factors, including the location and type of supply diffusers, supply airflow rates (air change rates) and associated diffuser throws, supply air temperature, size and locations of room return, bathroom exhaust flow rates, locations and strengths of various heat sources in a room, arrangement of furniture and other obstructions to airflow and relative location of a patient in the room, the article said.

Because visualization of airflow patterns and real-life evaluation and testing all the parameters that affect the airflow distribution is virtually impossible, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are an attractive alternative.

CFD analyses provide valuable insights, which help in improving the designs and in developing mitigation strategies in the case of problem resolution, the article said.

Read the article.