An Experimental Investigation of the Flow Structure on a Face Mannequin With / Without a Face Shield

Year 2021, , 153 - 160, 20.12.2021

Cemre Polat , Doğan Burak Saydam , Mustafa Söyler , Coskun Özalp

https://doi.org/10.26701/ems.907162

Abstract

This study investigated experimentally the flow regime with a face shield on a face mannequin placed at different distances (L=50 cm and L=150 cm to source of flow), i.e., perpendicular to the channel or at an angle of 10°, through the PIV (Particle Imaging Velocimetry) method along with the dye experiments, based on which the face shield and dye injector were positioned to conduct the PIV tests. As a result of the experiments, instantaneous velocity vectors and velocity magnitude data were obtained, and the flow structure around the face shield was examined in detail. The study revealed that the flow released through the respiratory tract hit the face and eye area of the mannequin in the experiments performed without using a face shield, yet, with the face shield, the flow that emerged while talking at a close distance was directed from the lower part of the face shield towards the neck and jaw but protected the face and eye area compared to the case without a face shield. It was observed that the flow lost its energy when it first left the flow source, and the velocity vectors were directed down the neck area. Positioning the mannequin at an angle of 10° turned out to be less protective than positioning it perpendicular to the channel, due to the flow being directed from the jaw to the mouth area with the effect of the angle.

Keywords

Social Distance, Face Shield, Flow Characteristic, Covid-19, PIV

Thanks

We would like to express our deepest regards and thanks to the healthcare professionals in Turkey and all around the world, who work very hard in these difficult times.

References

• [1] Correia G, Rodrigues L, Gameiro da Silva M, Gonçalves T. (2020) Airborne route and bad use of ventilation systems as non-negligible factors in SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Med Hypotheses; 141:109781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109781.
• [2] Segredo-Otero E, Sanjuán R. (2019) The effect of genetic complementation on the fitness and diversity of viruses spreading as collective infectious units. Virus Res; 267:41–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virusres.2019.05.005.
• [3] Pan M, Lednicky JA, Wu CY. (2019) Collection, particle sizing and detection of airborne viruses. J Appl Microbiol; 127:1596–611. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.14278.
• [4] Chen C, Lin CH, Jiang Z, Chen Q. (2014) Simplified models for exhaled airflow from a cough with the mouth covered. Indoor Air; 24:580–91. https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12109.
• [5] Wang J, Chow TT. (2011) Numerical investigation of influence of human walking on dispersion and deposition of expiratory droplets in airborne infection isolation room. Build Environ; 46:1993–2002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2011.04.008.
• [6] Li X, Inthavong K, Tu J. (2012) Particle inhalation and deposition in a human nasal cavity from the external surrounding environment. Build Environ; 47:32–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2011.04.032.
• [7] Nishimura H, Sakata S, Kaga A. (2013) A new methodology for studying dynamics of aerosol particles in sneeze and cough using a digital high-vision, high-speed video system and vector analyses. PLoS One; 8. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080244.
• [8] Tang JW, Noakes CJ, Nielsen P V., Eames I, Nicolle A, Li Y, et al. (2011) Observing and quantifying airflows in the infection control of aerosol- and airborne-transmitted diseases: An overview of approaches. J Hosp Infect; 77:213–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2010.09.037.
• [9] Berlanga FA, de Adana MR, Olmedo I, Villafruela JM, San José JF, Castro F. (2018) Experimental evaluation of thermal comfort, ventilation performance indices and exposure to airborne contaminant in an airborne infection isolation room equipped with a displacement air distribution system. Energy Build; 158:209–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2017.09.100.
• [10] Thierry B, Célérier C, Simon F, Lacroix C, Khonsari RH. (2020) How and why use the EasyBreath® Decathlon surface snorkeling mask as a personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic? Eur Ann Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Dis: 5–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anorl.2020.05.006.
• [11] King MF, Noakes CJ, Sleigh PA. (2015) Modeling environmental contamination in hospital single- and four-bed rooms. Indoor Air; 25:694–707. https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12186.
• [12] Vordos N, Gkika DA, Maliaris G, Tilkeridis KE, Antoniou A, Bandekas D V., et al. (2020) How 3D printing and social media tackles the PPE shortage during Covid – 19 pandemic. Saf Sci;1 30:104870. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2020.104870.
• [13] Vuorinen V, Aarnio M, Alava M, Alopaeus V, Atanasova N, Auvinen M, et al. (2020) Modelling aerosol transport and virus exposure with numerical simulations in relation to SARS-CoV-2 transmission by inhalation indoors. Saf Sci; 130:104866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2020.104866.
• [14] Davis PJ, Spady D, Forgie SED. (2007) A survey of Alberta physicians’ use of and attitudes toward face masks and face shields in the operating room setting. Am J Infect Control; 35:455–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2006.08.011.
• [15] Boškoski I, Gallo C, Wallace MB, Costamagna G. (2020) COVID-19 pandemic and personal protective equipment shortage: protective efficacy comparing masks and scientific methods for respirator reuse. Gastrointest Endosc; 92:519–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gie.2020.04.048.
• [16] Sapoval M, Gaultier AL, Del Giudice C, Pellerin O, Kassis-Chikhani N, Lemarteleur V, et al. (2020) 3D-printed face protective shield in interventional radiology: Evaluation of an immediate solution in the era of COVID-19 pandemic. Diagn Interv Imaging; 101:413–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diii.2020.04.004.
• [17] Shokrani A, Loukaides EG, Elias E, Lunt AJG. (2020) Exploration of alternative supply chains and distributed manufacturing in response to COVID-19; a case study of medical face shields. Mater Des; 192:108749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2020.108749.
• [18] Skamnelos A, Murino A, Lazaridis N, Cunado L, Despott EJ. (2020) Endoscopy during the COVID-19 pandemic: simple construction of a single-use, disposable face shield using inexpensive and readily available materials. VideoGIE:1–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vgie.2020.04.005.
• [19] Zhou Q, Qian H, Ren H, Li Y, Nielsen P V. (2017) The lock-up phenomenon of exhaled flow in a stable thermally-stratified indoor environment. vol. 116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2017.02.010.
• [20] Dbouk T, Drikakis D. (2020) On coughing and airborne droplet transmission to humans. Phys Fluids;32. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0011960.
• [21] Licina D, Pantelic J, Melikov A, Sekhar C, Tham KW. (2014) Experimental investigation of the human convective boundary layer in a quiescent indoor environment. Build Environ; 75:79–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2014.01.016.
• [22] Badeau A, Afshari A, Goldsmith T, Frazer D. (2002) Preliminary prediction of flow and particulate concentration produced from normal human cough dispersion. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol - Proc; 1:246–7. https://doi.org/10.1109/iembs.2002.1134475.
• [23] Ge Q, Li X, Inthavong K, Tu J. (2013) Numerical study of the effects of human body heat on particle transport and inhalation in indoor environment. Build Environ; 59:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2012.08.002.
• [24] Richmond-Bryant J. (2009) Transport of exhaled particulate matter in airborne infection isolation rooms. Build Environ; 44:44–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2008.01.009.
• [25] Tang JW, Nicolle AD, Klettner CA, Pantelic J, Wang L, Suhaimi A Bin, et al. (2013) Airflow Dynamics of Human Jets: Sneezing and Breathing - Potential Sources of Infectious Aerosols. PLoS One; 8:1–7. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0059970.
• [26] Clark RP, De Calcina-Goff ML. (2009) Some aspects of the airborne transmission of infection. J R Soc Interface; 6. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2009.0236.focus.
• [27] Ozalp C, Pinarbasi A, Sahin B. (2010) Experimental measurement of flow past cavities of different shapes. Exp Therm Fluid Sci; 34:505–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2009.11.003.
• [28] Alnak DE, Varol Y, Firat M, Oztop HF, Ozalp C. (2019) Experimental and numerical investigation of impinged water jet effects on heated cylinders for convective heat transfer. Int J Therm Sci; 135:493–508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2018.09.037.
• [29] Gupta JK, Lin CH, Chen Q. (2010) Characterizing exhaled airflow from breathing and talking. Indoor Air; 20:31–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0668.2009.00623.x.
• [30] Chao CYH, Wan MP, Morawska L, Johnson GR, Ristovski ZD, Hargreaves M, et al. (2009) Characterization of expiration air jets and droplet size distributions immediately at the mouth opening. J Aerosol Sci; 40:122–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2008.10.003.
• [31] Özalp, C , Polat, C , Saydam, D , Söyler, M . (2020). Dye Injection Flow Visualization Around a Rotating Circular Cylinder . European Mechanical Science , 4 (4) , 185-189 . doi: https://doi.org/10.26701/ems.794683