We know that the coronavirus is more easily transmitted in closed areas, where there’s less ventilation or room for airflow, than outdoors.
But you might’ve wondered, as we have, how this applies in our domes. Does the risk of transmission increase inside a dome, or is it more like being outside?
Here are a few key facts about ventilation and airflow inside a Farley dome:
- The Air Quality In a Dome Resembles Outdoor Conditions.
A typical dome contains 500,000 to 5,000,000 cubic feet of air; for a topical comparison, a typical classroom contains just 6,000 cubic feet of air. - Dome Ventilation Is Remarkably Better Than In Most Buildings.
Under ASHRAE standards, a normal classroom’s ventilation is designed to move 222 cubic feet of air per minute; domes have a minimum of 50 times more outside fresh air! - There’s Tons of Room To Breathe In a Dome.
At 6-foot social distance, a dome provides about 800 cubic feet of ventilation air per person per minute; a typical classroom with 20 students would provide 11 cubic feet.
Gerald N. Catt, Professional Engineer, has prepared a brief report on the advantages of domes over conventional buildings in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Read his analysis of dome ventilation and air turnover in the in the report
