Design optimization of a hospital room by means of CFD for a more efficient ventilation

This paper analyzes the existing ventilation flow pattern in a hospital room with two beds.The room is divided by curtains and partition walls, which has advantages for its use and medicalassistance, but is an important obstacle as far as ventilation is concerned. The air-conditioning system consists of an induction unit fitted in the ceiling and an extractor fan in the bathroom.We have created a model which, assuming isothermal and stationary flow, solves the differentialequations of conservation for the mass, the amount of movement and the average age of the air.Analyzing the average age and speed of the air in the occupied area enables the ventilation to becalculated.The results for the room with the initial architectural design show a very deficient ventilation in theareas occupied by the patients. Alternative configurations have been studied which allow a correct ventilation without renouncing the medical advantages. We provide the optimum configuration of the room with regard to both patient comfort and ease of execution.