Computational fluid dynamics modeling of cough transport in an aircraft cabin

To characterize the transport of respiratory pathogens during commercial air travel, Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations were performed to track particles expelled by coughing by a passenger assigned to different seats on a Boeing 737 aircraft. Simulation data were post-processed to calculate the amounts of particles inhaled by nearby passengers. Different airflow rates were used, as well as different initial conditions to account for random fluctuations of the flow field. Overall, 80% of the particles were removed from the cabin in 1.3-2.6 min, depending on conditions, and 95% of the particles were removed in 2.4-4.6 min. Reducing airflow increased particle dispersion throughout the cabin but did not increase the highest exposure of nearby passengers. The highest exposure was 0.3% of the nonvolatile mass expelled by the cough, and the median exposure for seats within 3 feet of the cough discharge was 0.1%, which was in line with recent experimental testing.

Automated summary

The study used Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations to track respiratory pathogen particles expelled by coughing on a Boeing 737 aircraft. Results showed that 80% of particles were removed from the cabin within 1.3-2.6 minutes, and 95% within 2.4-4.6 minutes. Reducing airflow increased particle dispersion but did not increase nearby passengers' highest exposure.