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. 2022 Apr 15:206:112562.
doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112562. Epub 2021 Dec 15.

Spray curtains as devices for surface spraying during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Marek Ochowiak  1 , Sylwia Włodarczak  2 , Andżelika Krupińska  1 , Magdalena Matuszak  1 , Waldemar Fedak  3 , Grzegorz Ligus  3 , Szymon Kołodziej  3 , Barbara Wasilewska  4
Affiliations

Spray curtains as devices for surface spraying during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Marek Ochowiak et al. Environ Res. .

Abstract

Counteracting the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is a current and important problem. A crucial issue in this area is the disinfection of various surfaces, as well as the air itself. For this purpose, devices such as foggers, which have different designs, are used. The appropriate size of droplets and their distribution determines the effectiveness of disinfectants. The paper presents droplet size distributions and characteristic mean droplet diameters, which are obtained with the use of a conical pressure-swirl atomizer. For the purpose of the analysis, the laser diffraction method was used. The influence of gas pressure and the distance from the atomizer's orifice on the spray angle and the distance between the nozzles on the spray curtain was also demonstrated.

Keywords: Atomizer; COVID-19; Histograms; SARS-CoV-2; Sauter mean diameter; Spray curtain.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The atomizer applied in the research: a) 3D model, b) cross-section with internal dimensions, c) nozzle installed in the experimental set-up, d) external dimensions.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The distribution of the mean droplet diameters obtained at a distance of 0.25 m from the atom izer at a pressure of 3 bar.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The distribution of the mean droplet diameters obtained at a distance of 0.50 m from the atom izer at a pressure of 3 bar.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
The distribution of the mean droplet diameters obtained at a distance of 0.75 m from the atom izer at a pressure of 3 bar.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
The distribution of the mean droplet diameters obtained at a distance of 1 m from the atomizer at a pressure of 3 bar.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
The distribution of the mean droplet diameters obtained at a distance of 1 m from the atomizer at a pressure of 4 bar.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
The distribution of the mean droplet diameters obtained at a distance of 1 m from the atomizer at a pressure of 5 bar.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
The distribution of the mean droplet diameters obtained at a distance of 1 m from the atomizer at a pressure of 6 bar.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
The spray angle for a pressure of: a) 3 bar; b) 6 bar.
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
Dependence between the distance between the nozzles and the distance of the nozzles from the sprayed surface.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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