Development of a numerical model to simulate the biological inactivation of airborne microorganisms in the presence of ultraviolet light.

Abstract

The effectiveness of any ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) system is governed by the passage of airborne microorganisms through the UV field. This paper describes a new method for evaluating the performance of UVGI devices using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations. A microorganism inactivation equation is combined with a scalar transport equation to describe the concentration of airborne microorganisms in the presence of a UV field. The solution of this equation, in conjunction with the momentum and turbulent energy equations, allows the effect of both the airflow and the UV field on the microorganism distribution to be examined. Solutions are shown for the airflow and microorganism concentration through a bench scale flow apparatus, at five different UV intensities. The results from the CFD model are validated against the experimental data, obtained from the flow apparatus, for aerosolised Pseudomonas aeruginosa microorganisms. Good comparisons are seen, giving confidence in the application of the technique to other situations.