Optimization research on the air infection intervention ability of interactive cascade ventilation in high-density building spaces

Abstract

The imperative to curb the spread of respiratory infectious diseases in high-density indoor settings, underscored by the frequency of large-scale epidemic transmission events, has propelled the necessity for effective ventilation strategies. This study investigates the air infection intervention ability of interactive cascade ventilation (ICV) in a densely occupied conference room through numerical simulation. By examining the effects of supply air temperature, velocity, and outlet height as variables, the study evaluates pollutant removal efficiency and predicted infection risk as key performance indicators. Utilizing a comprehensive approach that includes 68 single-factor simulations and 49 multi-factor simulations based on orthogonal experimental design, the study identifies the optimal configuration of supply air parameters for ICV. The quantitative findings reveal that the lower jet velocity has the most significant impact on virus prevention and control, with the optimal settings determined as upper/lower jet temperatures of 20/24 °C, and upper/lower jet velocities of 1.0/1.8 m/s, respectively. The polar analysis further confirms these results, highlighting the importance of supply air parameter optimization for enhancing ICV performance. The study concludes that ICV with its optimized parameters can achieve a 45.1 % improvement in pollutant removal efficiency and reduce the predicted infection risk by 62.0 % at a distance of 1.7m from the source, compared to the worst-case scenario. These results underscore the potential of ICV as an effective strategy for indoor air quality management and infection control in high-density spaces, providing valuable insights for the design of air conditioning and ventilation systems in the post-pandemic era.