Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) involves solution and analysis of transport equations of fluid flow, heat transfer, and mass transfer in critical environments. The transport of continuity, mass, momentum, energy, and contaminants are governed by a generalized conservation principle that can be described in the form of a general differential equation. These converged numerical solutions reveal a detailed distribution of pressure, velocities, turbulence parameters, temperature, as well as concentration of chemical, particle and microbial contaminants.

Microrite offers a thorough engineering simulation; computational fluid dynamics of cleanrooms, barrier and barrier/cleanroom integration at the design phase. Depending on the application, contaminating particles are often found in cleanrooms, and if cleanrooms are not designed properly, these contaminants could have negative effects on the product. Using simulation software as part of the design process our team can evaluate design performance, optimize airflow and air change effectiveness, decrease the risk of contamination, and increase energy efficiency. CFD is not limited to new designs; our clients use this solution as a contamination control tool and to help optimize the efficiency of aging cleanrooms and manufacturing facilities.

This Microrite service allows a designer to adjust design parameters for more efficient results, and predict the behavior of their systems for virtually any scenario as well as avoid some of the hidden pitfalls.

• CFD requires, as an input, the information on geometry of the cleanroom, equipment and process locations, number of personnel and gowning level, contaminant emissions and locations, positions of air inlets and returns, exhaust and other boundary conditions, and their airflow rates and air properties such as temperature and humidity. 3D CAD files are directly imported to the simulation to define the geometry of the objects being studied.
• CFD allows identification of areas or spots which indicate poor performance, such as phenomena of low velocity, eddy flow, high particulate concentration, and reverse flow of contaminated air which migrates into cleanroom or barrier system.
• CFD permits the modelling of spot locations of contaminated air dispersed or migrated from contamination sources under various HVAC control scenarios.
• CFD output allows for calculation under various HVAC configurations and airflow patterns to assess the operation of the cleanroom or barrier system at areas of concern, and to optimize the airflow pattern and airflow rate effectiveness to achieve predicable performances for the design.