Indoor workspace — airflow management
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Covid spread simulation.

The spread of droplets and aerosols cannot be seen with the naked eye. Through CFD simulation, EOLIOS predicts their diffusion, assesses the effect of airflow on infection and proposes measures to reduce the risk of indoor contamination.

Droplets & aerosolsCovid protocols2 min read
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Predicted diffusion

Trajectory of droplets and aerosols smaller than 5 µm modelled.

Audited protocols

Compliance with labour law, filtration and air-handling control.

Multidisciplinary team

Pulmonologist and airflow engineer combined to assess the real risk.

01 — Approach

Verify, validate and optimise your air-distribution systems

EOLIOS verifies, validates and optimises air-distribution systems to reduce the risk of indoor viral transmission, combining medical expertise and fluid mechanics.

Assess

  • Pulmonologist / airflow-engineer team
  • Audit against labour law
  • Risques de propagation du virus

Model

  • Modelling of air movements
  • Diffusion of droplets & aerosols
  • Effect of airflow on infection

Protect

  • Implementation of filtration systems
  • Support in setting up a COVID protocol
  • Reduction of the contamination risk

Simulation for understanding

Fluid motion, structural deformation, heat transport, chemical reactions, sound propagation: these familiar phenomena often occur affecting one another and form extremely complex problems. It is therefore academically and industrially relevant to use simulations to elucidate the mechanism and study performance. Beyond conventional fluid simulations, we develop numerical analysis methods to simulate complex physical phenomena in sensitive environments, and publish our results academically.

02 — Spread

Simulate the spread of COVID and other viruses

Droplet infection is one of the transmission routes of viral diseases such as COVID-19. Since it is not possible to visually observe the spread of droplets, carriers can contaminate those around them: appropriate measures are therefore needed. In addition, aerosols of 5 µm or less float in the air over a longer distance and time, and call for measures distinct from large droplets.

To fight droplet infection, the diffusion process of droplets and aerosols must be correctly predicted and the effect of airflow on infection estimated. We carry out computational fluid dynamics simulations and, beyond analysing the results, we consider measures to reduce the infection risk.

Animated CFD simulation of scalar (droplet) dispersion indoors
CFD simulation of indoor droplet dispersion
Animated CFD simulation of aerosol spread in a room
Aerosol spread according to airflow

Auditing Covid protocols

We audit the Covid protocols of large groups in order to assess the solutions implemented and evaluate the contamination risks. We study the existing air-handling systems — filtration level, real air flow rate, control — with regard to the labour law and the aerosol-spread phenomena.

03 — Audit

Site audit

We carry out site audits in order to verify the compliance of workspaces and improve the comfort of staff. On-site measurements, analysis of the installations and concrete recommendations: the audit links the performance of the air-handling systems to the control of the health risk.

Know-how: indoor air quality study

Know-how: air pollution impact study

Project: dust dispersion — geology laboratory

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What large groups and venue operators most often ask us about indoor aerosol propagation.

Why simulate the propagation of droplets and aerosols?

The propagation of droplets cannot be seen with the naked eye: a carrier can contaminate those nearby without the risk being visible. CFD predicts the diffusion process of droplets and aerosols and estimates the effect of airflow on infection. It belongs to the same indoor-air control as our indoor air quality study.

What is the difference between droplets and aerosols?

Large droplets fall quickly near the emitter, whereas aerosols of 5 µm or less float in the air over a longer distance and time. This distinction is essential because it calls for different measures: ventilation and filtration act mainly on suspended aerosols. The simulation handles both behaviours to cover the whole risk.

What does the audit of Covid protocols involve?

We audit the protocols of large groups to assess the solutions in place and evaluate contamination risks. The study covers the existing air-treatment systems, filtration level, real airflow and control, against occupational health rules. The installed means are thus compared with the real effectiveness expected against aerosols.

Who carries out these studies at EOLIOS?

They combine a dual expertise, pulmonologist and airflow engineer, to link the health risk to the physical behaviour of the air. This multidisciplinary team audits sites against occupational rules and models air movements. The recommendations cover both the deployment of filtration systems and the adjustment of protocols.

In which venues are these studies most useful?

Anywhere people share the same air volume: offices and open spaces, healthcare facilities, densely occupied public venues. Laboratories and cleanrooms, where aerosol control is already critical, also benefit. The simulation sheds light on the transmission risk and the effectiveness of measures in each of these contexts.

Media library · Indoor airflow

Indoor air, simulated first.

Aerosol diffusion, fine-particle capture and thermal comfort: our CFD simulations reveal the real behaviour of air in shared spaces.

The whole media library
Thermal comfort in an open spaceAir movements in a shared workspace
Fine-particle capture — metro
Laboratory equipped with fume hoods
Use cases · Sectors

Where do we simulate aerosol spread?

Wherever people share the same volume of air, CFD sheds light on the transmission risk and the effectiveness of the measures. Here are the typical contexts.

Resources

Related technical papers

To go deeper into the control of indoor air and the dispersion of particles, continue with our related papers and know-how.

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A health protocol to validate, an aerosol risk to assess, air-handling systems to audit? Our pulmonologist / airflow-engineer team simulates the spread and secures your spaces.