Validation of a CFD Study of Particle Distribution in Nuclear Workplace

P. Geraldini [1],
[1] Sogin S. p. A., Rome, Italy
Published in 2016

Understanding the air flow patterns and aerosol trajectories in ventilated rooms can provide key information for determining where to place early warning and monitoring instruments, and how to minimize hazardous materials in the worker’s breathing zone. The dispersion within rooms can be influenced by complex interactions between numerous variables, but especially ventilation design and room furnishings. In fact, the assumption of a well-mixed condition of room air and particles could fail because perfect mixing is difficult to obtain. In order to accurately design a healthy indoor environment, it is important to consider spatial distributions of particles. 3D simulations have been performed with COMSOL Multiphysics® software involving Heat Transfer Module and Particle Tracing Module. Although the overall computational cost is considerable, the numerical results agree well with associated experimental data. The development of this work has allowed us to obtain useful indications for the design of a Continuous Air Monitoring sampling layout.