Study of indoor ventilation to mitigate air-borne infection spread

Ventilation of shared indoor spaces is crucial for mitigating air-borne infection spread 
among the occupants. Replacing the air in a room with fresh air is key to minimize the 
concentration of potentially infectious aerosol exhaled by its occupants. Recirculating 
air flow present at corners and around obstacles can trap air and infectious aerosol. 
This can significantly delay their evacuation by the ventilation system. Computational 
fluid dynamics is an effective tool to obtain the air flow field in a room, and identify 
the recirculation zones. Additionally, Lagrangian tracking of particles gives the spatial 
and temporal distribution of infectious aerosol in the domain. The aerosol concentration 
in the room can be mapped to the probability of infection, based on the infectivity of 
the pathogen, and the respiratory behavior of the occupants. Thus, a framework can be 
developed that is general enough to be applied to rooms of different sizes, ventilation 
rates, filtration and pathogen deactivation devices. The CFD work will be complemented 
with experiments using measurements of CO2 and particulate matter. CFD coupled with 
experimental measurements could lead to model improvement and a better understanding of 
the underlying processes influencing the spread of infectious aerosols. Field 
implementation using IOT-based sensors and controllers and machine learning is also 
envisaged.

Qualifications: MTech/ME or Equivalent degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical, Civil, 
Environment engineering and related disciplines OR BTech/BE in the above disciplines 
along with two years relevant experience.

Preference: Expertise in Ansys fluent or similar CFD software. Data processing using 
xcel, Python, Matlab and Tecplot. Good oral and written communication skills. Exposure to 
experimental work.

Tenure: 1 year (starting immediately)

Salary: Rs. 37,000-40,000 p.m. (including Out of Campus accommodation allowance)