Optimal position of air purifiers in elevator cabins for the improvement of their ventilation effectiveness

Ventilation in confined spaces is essential to reduce the airborne transmission of viruses responsible for respiratory diseases such as COVID-19. Mechanical ventilation using purifiers is an interesting solution for elevator cabins to reduce the risk of infection and improve the air quality. In this work, the optimal position and blowing direction of these devices to maximize ventilation and minimize the residence time of the air inside two cabins (large and small) is studied. Special attention is devoted to idle periods when the cabin is not used by the passengers, in order to keep the cabin ambient safe and clean, avoiding that the trapped air in the cabin (after its use) could suppose a reservoir for contaminants. CFD numerical models of two typical cabin geometries, including the discretization of small slots and grilles for infiltration, have been developed. A full 3D URANS approach with a k-epsilon RNG turbulence model and a non-reactive scalar to compute the mean age of air (MAA) was employed. The CFD results have been also validated with experimental measurements from a home-made 1:4 small-scale mock-up. The optimal position of the purifier is on the larger sidewall of the cabins for a downward blowing direction (case 1 of the database). Flow rates in the range of 0.4–0.6 m(3)/min, depending on the size of the cabin, are sufficient to assure a correct ventilation. Upward blowing may be preferable only if interaction of the jet core with the ceiling or other flow deflecting elements are found. In general, the contribution of infiltrations (reaching values of up to 10%), and how these secondary flows interact with the main flow pattern driven by the purifier, is relevant and not considered previously in the literature. Though an optimal position can improve ventilation considerably, it has been proven that a good choice of the purification flow rate is more critical to ensure an adequate air renewal.