| Summary: | The finite volume method and potential-vorticity vector formalism in their three-dimensional form were used to numerically study the impact of an adiabatic and impermeable vertical barrier on the dispersion of a local aero-contaminant due to the double-diffusive Rayleigh–Benard convection inside a cubic container. Different governing parameters such as the Rayleigh number, buoyancy ratio and barrier height were analyzed for <i>Le</i> = 1.2 and <i>Pr</i> = 0.7, representing an air-contaminant mixture. The potential-vector-vorticity formalism in the three-dimensional form allowed the elimination of the pressure terms appearing in the Navier–Stokes equations. It was found that the heat and mass transfer as well as the effectiveness of the barrier in reducing contaminant dispersion are strongly influenced by the buoyancy ratio, the barrier size and the Rayleigh number. In addition, the barrier effectiveness is more than 70% for a height of half the building height.
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