Computational Fluid and Particle Dynamics Analyses for Prediction of Airborne Infection/Spread Risks in Highway Buses: A Parametric Study

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This research work presents the numerical study of airborne infection/spread risks in highway buses.  Two types of bus cabins with different partition conditions, and different number of passengers, with/without masks are considered.

The topic is interesting, however, the reviewer has the major concerns on this research paper:

1.       This is simulation-based research work, however, much detailed information about numerical simulation is missing. Is the simulation done by developed in-house codes or commercial software? What are the numerical methods used in the simulation? What are the important numerical parameters used in the simulation? In two comparative cases A and B, it is not clear why the number of passengers selected in each configuration is different, which will apparently cause inconsistencies in simulation results. For the mesh-independent study, the authors referred to reference [41], however, no mesh-independent study information was given based on the current geometry settings.

 

2.       Considering the importance of simulation results, most of the results presented in this paper are apparent and can be obtained without the simulation study. The authors concluded that “The comprehensive prediction method of airborne infection/spread risks established in this study 530 could contribute to optimal environmental design of bus cabins”, however, nothing about optimal bus cabin design was even mentioned. In the simulation results more in-depth quantified analysis results are expected.

 

 

In summary, the reviewer cannot support publication in considering the novelty and significance of a journal publication.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

This manuscript offers a comprehensive numerical investigation into simulating airborne transmission within highway buses. Employing computational fluid dynamics, the authors utilize intricate bus cabin geometry, realistic heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems, and computer-simulated personas to closely replicate real-world bus conditions. The findings indicate that, in comparison to partitions, wearing masks is a more effective method for reducing the average infection risk in buses. Given the thorough approach and systematic analysis undertaken in this study, I would like to recommend the publication of the paper after the authors address the following questions.

1. For each simulation, how many people are set to cough at the initial time? Is it just one?

2. If there is only one person that coughs, considering the complex geometry and ventilation system in the bus, does the position of the person that coughs affect the average infection risk in the bus?

3. Can authors specify the meaning of each color in figure 9?

Minors:

Should \sigma_T in equation (3) be \sigma_t as introduced in line 186?

 

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

The authors tried to add details based on the review comments.  The paper can be accepted in present form.