Numerical Modeling for transport and distribution of carbon monoxide plumes in indoor spaces Distribution of CO plumes in indoor spaces

More than 90% of people’s lives are spent indoors and indoor air pollution is the cause of more than 2.2 million deaths annually worldwide. Contrary to popular belief, the dangers of pollutants in enclosed spaces are greater than in open environments. In this study, the ability of the computer models to simulate flow behavior in the interior space of an industrial workshop was investigated to may check the satisfaction of the environmental standards

The flow pattern and flow mixing and dilution were investigated by developing a specific solver in OpenFOAM and comparing the results with the ex[perimental data.

Due to the initial buoyancy, the plume enters from the lower opening with high concentration and after diluting in indoor space, goes out from the roof opening. It is then observed that while there are no openings, the concentration of Carbon Monoxide in the breathing height of workers will reach the dangerous limit of (100 ppm <) in different models.

In this study, the concentration of Carbon Monoxide in the building’s interior space was estimated far higher than the maximum allowable centration mentioned in the standards. Therefore, the high level of pollution concentration in indoor spaces indicates the inadequacy of natural ventilation and the need for mechanical ventilation to could decrease pollution down to the breathing standard of ocupants.