Strategy for studying ventilation performance in factories

8 High concentrations of airborne particulate matter in factories can cause serious health problems 9 for workers. One significant reason for these high concentrations is the poor performance of the 10 ventilation systems in workplaces. This investigation developed a strategy that combines 11 computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and on-site measurements to study and improve 12 the ventilation performance in factories. The CFD simulations were able to predict the flow field 13 and particle distributions in factories with complex layouts. The corresponding on-site 14 measurements were performed to provide boundary conditions for the CFD simulations and to 15 obtain key data about airflow and air quality for validating the simulations. This study used the 16 strategy to improve ventilation performance in an automotive parts factory. Three ventilation 17 systems were studied: a roof exhaust system, combined roof exhaust and air recirculation systems, 18 and combined roof exhaust and displacement ventilation systems. This study found that the 19 combined roof exhaust and displacement ventilation systems provided acceptable indoor air 20 quality and thermal comfort levels in the factory. 21 22