Computational Modelling on Virus Spread among People in Group

Ridwan Abdurrahman; Hong Yang Lim; Ishkrizat Taib; Muhammad Aniq Azarif; Muhammad Naqib Ruslan; Andril Arafat

doi:10.37934/sjotfe.1.1.4356a

Authors

Ridwan Abdurrahman Mechanical Engineering Department, Universitas Riau, Pekanbaru 28293, Indonesia
Hong Yang Lim Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Johor, Malaysia
Ishkrizat Taib Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia
Muhammad Aniq Azarif Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Johor, Malaysia
Muhammad Naqib Ruslan Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Johor, Malaysia
Andril Arafat Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Padang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37934/sjotfe.1.1.4356a

Keywords:

COVID-19, flow characteristic, velocity, pressure distribution

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it necessary to recognise various transmission routes, including talking, as potential means of spreading the virus. Therefore, this study seeks to analyse the capability of COVID-19 virus particles to spread through talking, specifically focusing on the fluid contour and the characteristics of velocity and pressure during interpersonal communication. To compare the results, three experiments were conducted using three inlet velocities at the mouth of the pipe: 2.31 m/s, 3.19 m/s, and 4.07 m/s. These were combined with three group densities: 2-person, 3-person, and 4-person groups, using ANSYS Fluent software, resulting in nine cases in total. The findings revealed that the velocity rate of the flow was high during the initial stages of talking and declined with the distance of flow. The chances of virus transmission were higher in situations where participants interacted with more people, particularly when three patients with COVID-19 were conversing. From the study, it was established that virus transmission increases with the number of people talking and decreases with the distance between them in a conversation, which underlines the importance of social distancing.