Keeping the air inside buildings clean is very important for human health. Dust and small pollutants, known as particulate matter, can cause breathing problems. To solve this, engineers use Particulate matter transport In Building studies to see how dust moves. In this report, we perform a detailed Particulate matter transport CFD analysis using the software Ansys Fluent. This method allows us to simulate the wind blowing through windows, which is called natural ventilation.

By using Building Natural ventilation CFD simulation, we can check if the fresh air effectively removes harmful dust. The simulation tracks thousands of tiny particles as they travel through different rooms. This Particulate matter transport ANSYS Fluent study is much faster and cheaper than real experiments. It helps us understand complex airflow patterns and how particles like PM10 or PM2.5 disperse. This technology ensures that we can design safer living spaces with cleaner air for everyone. For more information on simulating indoor environments, please check our HVAC tutorials: https://cfdland.com/product-category/application/hvac-cfd-simulation/

• Reference [1]: Kao, Hong-Ming, et al. “Comparison of airflow and particulate matter transport in multi-room buildings for different natural ventilation patterns.” Energy and Buildings9 (2009): 966-974.

Figure 1: A schematic view of the multi-room building geometry used for the Particulate matter transport In Building analysis.

Simulation Process: Ansys Fluent Setup for Natural Ventilation and DPM

The simulation process for this Particulate matter transport CFD project started with creating a precise 3D model of a building with multiple rooms. To get accurate results, a high-quality mesh was generated using 3,306,747 tetrahedral cells. We paid special attention to the walls by adding fine boundary layer cells. This detailed meshing is critical for the Particulate matter transport Fluent solver to correctly calculate how air interacts with solid surfaces.

Inside Ansys Fluent, we turned on the Discrete Phase Model (DPM) to track the dust. We utilized a 2-way DPM coupling, which is a very accurate method. This means the simulation calculates how the wind moves the dust, and also how the dust slightly changes the airflow. We set up eight injection points to release inert dust particles of different sizes into the rooms. To model Building Natural ventilation CFD simulation, we defined the open windows.

Post-processing: Airflow Efficiency and Particle Removal Analysis

The analysis of the Particulate matter transport In Building simulation provides critical data for improving indoor air quality. First, we look at the airflow in Figure 2. The Building Natural ventilation Fluent setup creates a strong channel of wind through the center corridor. The velocity in this main path is very high, reaching over 20 m/s. This is good for flushing out air quickly. However, the side rooms show dark blue colors, which means the air speed is almost zero. This is a “dead zone” where air does not move well.

The most important engineering result comes from tracking the particles. The simulation tracked a total of 11,920 particles. As shown in the data table, 65.7% of these particles escaped the building through the windows. This proves that the natural ventilation is working reasonably well. However, a significant 34.3% of the particulate matter was trapped inside. This is a major finding. Figure 3 confirms that particles entering the side rooms get stuck and stay there for a long time, often more than 115 seconds.

Figure 2: Velocity contours showing the high-speed wind path (red) in the corridor and low-speed zones (blue) in the side rooms due to Building Natural ventilation Fluent.

Figure 3: Particle tracks colored by residence time, revealing that dust stays inside the side rooms for over 115 seconds while flushing out of the corridor quickly.

For a designer or manufacturer, this Particulate matter transport CFD analysis is incredibly useful. The results in Figure 5 show that smaller particles (10-20 microns) are harder to remove and stay floating longer than heavy ones. An architect can use this data to redesign the windows in the side rooms to eliminate the dead zones. A manufacturer of air purifiers can see exactly where the dust gathers (Figure 4) and recommend placing their devices in those specific corners to capture the remaining 34.3% of pollutants. This Particulate matter transport ANSYS Fluent study provides the exact locations of failure, allowing for targeted and smart engineering solutions.

Figure 4: Particle mass concentration contours highlighting the areas where particulate matter accumulates and gets trapped.

Figure 5: A histogram analysis showing that lighter particles (10-20 microns) stay suspended in the room longer than heavier particles.