Computational Fluid Dynamic Modeling of In-duct UV Air Sterilisation Systems.

In-duct UVC air sterilisation is a technology that can help in the reduction and control of airborne diseases. Nevertheless, improvements in sterilisation performance efficiency are required for the technology to succeed in an increasingly restricted energy society. Computational fluid Dynamics (CFD) was used to systematically improve the performance of in-duct UVC air sterilisation systems. The Discrete Ordinates method (DO) was used to model lamp irradiation, and a user defined function (UDF) to model the injection of microorganisms inside the duct to then calculate the average UV dose of the system, with this it was possible to reproduce test results published by EPA. After the CFD model was validated, operation parameters such as wall reflectivity, lamp location, lamp position, air velocity and airflow patterns were analysed. It was found that accurate information of UVC susceptibility for microorganisms in air was essential for the correct modeling of UVC air sterilisation systems using CFD, and current available data contain considerable variations that needed to be analysed and interpreted in an appropriate manner. It was also found that the DO method was appropriate to model lamp irradiation and could account for reflectivity, and that CFD was robust enough to reproduce lab tests results. Moreover it was found that airflow patterns, and lamp location and position influenced the sterilisation performance of a UVC system. Results include a comprehensive list of microorganisms UVC susceptibilities in air (Chapter 3); a set of CFD models that can be used for validation or calibration for future studies and a confirmation that CFD is capable to model in-duct UVC air sterilisation systems (Chapter 5). Ultimately this research presents a series of conclusions that will help on the design of more efficient in-duct UVC air sterilisation systems

Co-creating FabLab La Campana: Empowering a marginalised community in the North of Mexico

FabLabs are a celebrated approach to formal and informal learning through making with digital fabrication tools. This paper discusses the co-creation of a FabLab with a marginalised community in Monterrey, Mexico. One of the main challenges in establishing these Makerspaces is in sustaining the activities and community engagement on an ongoing basis. In responding to this challenge, this process focused on the empowerment of community members to make the changes they desire, either for themselves or their community. Beyond skills for making and playful engagement in STEAM learning, makerspaces also facilitate the building of networks and partnerships, and the development of social competencies and soft skills, that are often overlooked in the process of empowerment and social mobility. Primary insights from the co-creation process of the La Campana FabLab are reported here. A Mexican higher education institution with a strong social responsibility agenda facilitated the process, securing funds and connecting project partners, locally and globally. Framing the co-creation of the FabLab with the partners was and is an ongoing process. Key factors included the donation of a safe space and tools for the community to host and run the FabLab. Establishing the role of the FabLab in the community from the participants’ point-of-view and committing to regular ongoing educational dialogue was important in forming an equitable partnership between institutions and community. Beyond the physical space, equipment and educational activities, a community architecture intervention demonstrated the large-scale impact digital fabrication could have in creating spaces shaped by and for the community