COVID-19 pandemic: Together against coronavirus

The "Healthy Air Initiative" aims at providing companies with quick, practical, and scientifically proven solutions to reduce the transmission of viruses via aerosols. With this in mind, practicable ventilation concepts for aerosol prevention will be developed and contact points for advice will be set up as part of three project phases.

Within the scope of the "Hy4HoGa" project, ways to reduce the risk of infection via aerosols in the hospitality industry, and thus how large, highly-frequented spaces can be used safely at affordable cost, is being investigated by Fraunhofer IBP in collaboration with the Bavarian hotel and restaurant association "Bayerischer Hotel- und Gaststättenverband DEHOGA Bayern e.V." and the Bavarian industry association "vbw - Vereinigung der Bayerischen Wirtschaft e.V."

In the project Anti-Virus Aerosol: Testing, Operation, Reduction, in short "Avator", research is being conducted to assess and reduce the risk of infection by viruses transmitted via aerosols in enclosed spaces. Besides simulation-based methods to assess airborne dispersion, the project aims to develop air purification technologies based on virus capture and inactivation.

By simulating indoor air flows with the Indoor Environment Simulation Suite (IESS) - an in-house development by Fraunhofer IBP- information can be gained about the spread of the constituents of indoor air. These simulations help companies set up effective temporary protective measures at workplaces.

To protect employees from cross-infections in rooms, our scientists are working on a further development of the climate sky concept. The end-result will be not only adaptable but also mobile: the aim is to create a personalized, protective air curtain with multi-stage filtering system based on the principle of air recirculation.

Scientists at Fraunhofer IBP in Stuttgart have studied the effect of different masks on acoustic speech quality. The project aims at assessing the acoustic limitations of masks with the aid of an experimental setup and evaluation system, and at developing acoustically optimized face masks.