Researchers at Purdue University in Indiana are developing a system that uses mathematical models and sensors to locate passengers releasing hazardous materials or pathogens inside airline cabins.
Supported by the US FAA’s Air Transportation Center of Excellence for Airline Environment, Purdue researchers have found that their technique can track a substance to an area the size of a single aircraft seat.
They say this could potentially enable officials to identify passengers responsible for the unintentional release of germs, such as contagious viruses, or the intentional release of pathogens or chemical agents in a terrorist attack.
“The goal is to be able to track the source if a person released a biological agent, such as anthrax, or inadvertently released a pathogen such as pandemic flu by sneezing, for example,” says Qingyan Chen, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University and a principle director of the center of excellence.
The technique, called inverse simulation, analyzes how a material disperses throughout the cabin and then runs the dispersion in reverse to find its origin. Sensors track the airflow pattern and collect data related to factors such as temperature, velocity and concentration of gases and particles in the air.
“This is difficult to do, in part because an airline cabin is a pretty large area,” says Chen. “The procedure now requires several days of computing time to complete the track, meaning the method could be used only after a contamination occurs.”
Future work will concentrate on speeding the computation time, with a goal of one day creating a system that alerts pilots in real time and pinpoints a contaminant’s source. “We need to find a way to enhance the computing speed, and we have a strategy to do that,” says Chen.
The research findings are detailed in a paper co-written by Chen and mechanical engineering doctoral student Tengfei Zhang. It is slated for publication next month in Indoor Air - International Journal of Indoor Environment and Health.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
