Simulation and digitization technologies help us to understand our daily lives.
With the progression of Covid-19 transmissibility by humans, a simple sneeze without any protective barrier is an effective shot of viral particles.
Depending on the target of the droplets, contamination can be instantaneous, because upon contact with the mucous membranes of the face, the virus would be finding its destination for entry into the organism. However, the mere contact with clothes and objects allows it to lodge to be transmitted.
Unlike other viruses such as Measles and Tuberculosis, which occupy themselves in aerosols, Covid-19 progresses through droplets, which are heavier and, as soon as they come out of the mouth by coughing or sneezing, they go to the ground.
However, it is still controversial what is the safe distance between two or more people. Initially it was announced that one meter would be enough, but soon after, a safety margin was increased to 2 meters away. We all know that this depends a lot on the size of the person who produces the sneeze. A tall, healthy adult man with a large rib cage will be able to expel droplets at a faster rate than a child or elderly person.
With all that in mind, this young technology company based in the South of Brazil, JL Engenharia has decided to calculate the value of the maximum distance that a droplet can travel in the atmospheric air to reach someone and contribute to the answer to this question.
This is possible through simulation technologies, so important within the concept of Industry 4.0 and digitalization. The study was carried out with Simcenter STAR-CCM + software, developed by SIEMENS DIGITAL INDUSTRIES SOFTWARE. This software is the most complete one on the market in terms of modeling physical phenomena.
Through a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation, the distance can be determined based on the speed of air ejection from the mouth and also by the distribution and size of the saliva droplets.
In this first example, individuals are two meters away. It is noticed that the droplets from sneeze /cough do not reach the second individual. It is possible to observe on the ground where the droplets land.
And what about a closer approach, for example, one and a half meter? As expected, the individual is affected by the droplets, suffering a higher risk of contamination.
See in the image below the exact regions where the droplets are deposited on the individual body, including the hands, which is known to be critical in terms of contagion.
Although simple, small examples of engineering and technology help us to better understand what happens in our daily lives.
And don’t forget, follow the official medical recommendations!
Be well,
Equipe JL Engenharia.
