Performance Investigation of Air Mask: A Novel Personalized Ventilation Device Using CFD Simulation against Virus-Laden Aerosols

The surge of the COVID-19 pandemic paved the way for medical experts, professionals, and innovators to increasingly develop healthcare technologies. This study investigated the preliminary performance of a novel face shield-based design acting as a personalized ventilation system equipped with an air curtain through computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This research aims to determine the effectiveness of the device, specifically, when another person coughed or sneezed in proximity. A surgical mask was used as a porous medium to show resistance during the filtration when fans are working. Results showed that the aerodynamics of the device will depend on the axial fans’ specifications since this will generate the air curtain for the user. Given its novelty, optimizing the design would help improve the simulation results.