关键词: 计算流体力学, 无菌隔离器, 鼠笼, 流场分析

Abstract: Objective　To analyze the internal flow field of a sterile isolator using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and investigate the influence of different air inlet and exhaust vent distributions on the isolator’s internal flow field.Methods　The k-ω turbulence model was used to numerically simulate a sterile isolator for housing mice and to compare the flow field characteristics under two configurations: one with vents at the same height on both sides of the rear wall, and another with vents diagonally distributed on the left and right side walls.Results　Regardless of the vent distribution pattern, the flow field in the isolator was non-uniform, and the complexity of the flow field increased significantly after the placement of mouse cages. When the inlet and exhaust vents were diagonally distributed on the left and right side walls and the inlet was located above, the local air velocity in the mouse cage below the inlet reached 0.227 m/s, which was notably higher than in the configuration with vents at the same height on the rear wall.Conclusion　This study provides a theoretical basis for the design optimization of sterile isolators and animal husbandry management. It is recommended to avoid placing mouse cages in high-velocity areas in practical applications to ensure consistent animal housing conditions.

Key words: computational fluid dynamics, sterile isolator, mouse cage, flow field analysis