Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this case study is to assess the current airflow and find the ideal ventilation conditions in tank reactors for minimizing the possibility of exposure respiratory dusts(size of $2.5{\mu}m$, $10{\mu}m$) when workers exchange catalysts in the tank reactors. Methods: A Numerical study was performed to determine ideal ventilation conditions, We considered two sizes of airborne respiratory particles($2.5{\mu}m$, $10{\mu}m$) at 12points from the bottom of tank reactor. We changed input & output ventilation conditions and analyzed the particle motion in the tank reactor. The star-ccm+, computational fluid dynamics tool was used to predict air & particle flow patterns in the tank reactor and a numerical simulation was achieved by applying the realized ${\kappa}-{\varepsilon}$ turbulence model and the Lagrangian particle tracking method. Results: From the results, the increase of recirculation air had a significant impact on removing dusts because they are removed by HEPA filter. To the contrary, Increasing the clean air quantity or changing the input position of clean air is not good for workers because it causes the exit of respiratory dusts through workers' entrance or cause it to remail suspended in the air in the workplace tank.