The targeted removal effect and mechanism analysis of two-way active chilled beam induced purification on virus in wards

During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital wards served as crucial medical infrastructure for patient treatment. The existing ventilation systems in hospital wards are often criticized for their high energy consumption and poor pollutant removal. This study introduces an improved active chilled beam (ACB) system for wards. This system integrates an ionization module with the ACB, utilizing the ACB’s supply air jet and exhaust air convergence to create a directed airflow within the ward, effectively purifying aerosols. First, a validated CFD model is employed to simulate airflow generated by the ACB and the movement of aerosols exhaled by patients. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is then used to visualize the indoor directed airflow created by the ACB. The targeted aerosol removal performance of the ACB system is quantitatively described using the TARGETING index. To address the cumbersome calculation of the TARGETING index, a qualitative rapid identification method for targeted ventilation is proposed. Finally, the purification effect of the ACB system in multipatient wards was optimized through theoretical analysis. Compared with existing systems, the improved ACB system enhances the targeted aerosol removal performance by 41.9%–62.5%, and achieves energy savings of 33.3%. In multipatient wards, the ACB system can reduce the cross-infection risk by 80.5%–91.0%.