| Title |
Enhancement of Aerosol Capture Performance via Local Exhaust Ventilation Hood Shape Optimization: Experimental and CFD Validation |
| Authors |
조진균(Cho, Jinkyun) ; 오원석(Oh, Wonseok) ; 박정안(Park, Jeongan) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK.2026.42.9.295 |
| Keywords |
Local Exhaust Ventilation; Hood Shape Optimization; Face Velocity; Computational Fluid Dynamics; Particle Image Velocimetry |
| Abstract |
This study investigates the effect of hood shape optimization on the airflow characteristics and aerosol capture performance of a local exhaust
ventilation (LEV) system for infection control in healthcare environments. To evaluate the performance improvement, a baseline hemispherical
hood (ALT-1, Type 09) and an optimized streamlined hood (ALT-2, Type 12) were designed and compared under identical operating
conditions. A combined approach using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), face velocity measurements, flow visualization, and particle
image velocimetry (PIV) was applied to analyze airflow and capture behavior. The CFD results showed that the optimized hood effectively
induces converging airflow toward the exhaust center while reducing recirculation zones. Experimental results demonstrated that the optimized
hood increased the average face velocity by approximately 3.5% and improved airflow uniformity. Flow visualization confirmed that aerosol
dispersion toward healthcare workers was reduced under various breathing directions, while PIV analysis showed increased mean velocity
(approximately 25%) and reduced low-velocity regions. Overall, the optimized hood improved airflow stability and aerosol capture performance
by modifying the flow structure rather than simply increasing airflow rate. These findings provide a practical design strategy for enhancing
LEV performance in healthcare settings and reducing airborne infection risk. |