Introduction

The present invention refers to a methodology for testing HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) systems used for the air conditioning an indoor space/environment.

Technical features

The method is characterized by the following steps:

• Anemometric study of the environment, in order to determine its dimensions. Generation of a grid of points, for each of which the intensity, direction and direction of the air flow is measured;
• Positioning one or more droplet emitters in the points of the room where occupants usually stay, in order to simulate their breathing. The droplets contain a tracer able to visualize the trajectory and / or the distance reached;
• Modeling and / or detection of the trajectories of the droplets until they fall on the surfaces within said room, said detection being carried out by means of displaying the tracer present in the droplets;
• Development of numerical methods for the simulation of alternative scenarios to the one detected.

Possible Applications

• Assessment of transmission risk in work / school indoor environments;
• Combination with numerical techniques for HVAC systems optimization / definition of strategies.

Advantages

• Simple instrumentation that requires trained but unskilled personnel;
• Use of liquid tracers that reveal the dynamics of droplets in a more precise way than gaseous tracers;
• Use of target surfaces instead of gas detectors used for gaseous tracers.