Expiratory flow in Airliner Cabins: Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Agent-Based Modeling Study

Airborne transmission of aerosols in airliner cabins poses a significant concern due to the potential for rapid dispersal of infectious agents among passengers in confined spaces. However, detailed experimental characterization of flow within airliner cabins remains unavailable. We conducted 2D-2C PIV measurements inside the cabin of an MD-80 airliner to examine how exhalation flows generated by a passenger interacts with the flow from overhead vents (gaspers). To simulate exhalation under different activities (coughing, sneezing, talking), a respiratory flow phantom was developed using a piston-cylinder apparatus. The phantom was attached to a human dummy seated in the middle seat of the middle row of three consecutive front-to-back rows. Passive (non-exhaling) human dummies occupied the remaining eight seats. Vertical gasper jets lowered the horizontal momentum of coughing-generated airflow from the phantom and augmented vertical momentum. A data-driven agent-based modeling software (Planktos) was utilized to examine transport of massless particles. Preliminary findings show that vertically oriented gasper jets can promote downward transport of massless particles towards the exhaust vents. Transport characteristics from sneezing-generated flows will also be presented.