Numerical Study of Aerosol Dispersion in the Aircraft Cabin

We report the results of numerical simulations of aerosol formation and dispersion in the aircraft cabin. The simulation was performed in a full-scale model of the Do728 aircraft cabin using the open-source software OpenFOAM. Aerosol cloud formation was studied during normal human breathing, with particles modeled as a composition of solid nuclei (1% of total mass) and a solution of NaCl (1%) and water (98%). The time of transition to the equilibrium state as a function of particle size, as well as the spatial position and size distribution of the formed aerosol cloud were investigated. Further, dispersion of aerosol particles in the cabin was simulated and compared for two ventilation configurations: Mixing Ventilation (MV) and Cabin Displacement Ventilation (CDV). The comparison of particle residence time in air, the fraction of particles deposited, and the concentration of particles in the breathing area revealed certain advantages of the CDV configuration.