System and method for calibrating indoor air quality sensors for multi-zone environment

Abstract

A method for calibrating an indoor air quality (IAQ) sensor associated with a region of interest (AOI) is disclosed. The method includes creating a predetermined calibration environment for one or more IAQ sensors associated with the AOI by causing a building management system (BMS) associated with the AOI to perform one or more of the following: adjusting an inflow of outside air into the AOI to a first predetermined maximum level, adjusting the ventilation rate of the AOI to a second predetermined maximum level, and increasing the degree of air filtration in the AOI to a third predetermined maximum level; iAQ values detected by one or more IAQ sensors at the AOI are monitored in a predetermined calibration environment, and the one or more IAQ sensors are calibrated based on an average value of the monitored IAQ values detected by each of the IAQ sensors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of indoor air quality sensor calibration, and more particularly, to systems and methods for calibrating indoor air quality (IAQ) sensors associated with a multi-zone environment or region of interest. Background Art

[0002] In a multi-zone environment, different IAQ sensors may be employed at each zone, which may allow the user to monitor the IAQ of each zone. IAQ sensors may need to be calibrated periodically or annually to operate effectively and comply with industry and environmental standards. IAQ sensors may require a predictable environment in the multi-zone environment (where they are installed) as a calibration baseline to perform calibration. However, some sensors may not follow a predictable cycle, and therefore, such passive automatic baseline calibration may not be reliable and effective. Summary of the invention

[0003] A method for calibrating an indoor air quality (IAQ) sensor associated with an area of ​​interest (AOI) is described herein. The method includes the following steps: creating a predetermined calibration environment for one or more IAQ sensors associated with the AOI; monitoring IAQ values ​​detected by the one or more IAQ sensors at the AOI in the predetermined calibration environment at a predefined time; and calibrating the one or more IAQ sensors based on the monitored IAQ values ​​detected by each of the IAQ sensors.

[0004] In one or more embodiments, the method includes the step of calibrating one or more IAQ sensors based on an average of monitored IAQ values ​​detected by each of the IAQ sensors.

[0005] In one or more embodiments, a method of creating a predetermined calibration environment includes the steps of enabling a building management system (BMS) associated with the AOI to perform one or more of: adjusting the inflow of outside air into the AOI to a first predetermined maximum level, adjusting the ventilation rate of the AOI to a second predetermined maximum level, and increasing the degree of air filtration in the AOI to a third predetermined maximum level.

[0006] In one or more embodiments, the method includes the steps of: starting an air handling unit (AHU) associated with the BMS to adjust the inflow of outside air into the AOI to a first predetermined maximum level, and / or further adjusting the ventilation rate of the AOI to a second predetermined maximum level; and starting the AHU or air filtration system associated with the BMS to increase the degree of air filtration in the AOI to a third predetermined maximum level.

[0007] In one or more embodiments, the AOI is a multi-zone building including one or more zones, wherein the method of creating a calibration environment comprises the steps of: activating an air damper associated with each of the one or more zones and a fan assembly associated with the AHU to adjust the inflow of outside air into the one or more zones to a first predetermined maximum level, and / or further adjust the ventilation rate of the one or more zones to a second predetermined maximum level; and activating the AHU or air filtration system associated with the BMS to increase the degree of air filtration in the one or more zones to a third predetermined maximum level.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, when no occupants are detected in the AOI, a predetermined calibration environment is created.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, a predetermined calibration environment is created during predefined times including night time.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, a predetermined calibration environment is created when the temperature and humidity of the external air and / or the level of an air quality parameter including one or more of volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ethylene, formaldehyde, radon, methane, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen monoxide, oxygen, and nitrous oxide present in the external air is within a predefined threshold range, wherein data related to the humidity, temperature, and level of the air quality parameter of the external air is received from one or more auxiliary sensors located outside the AOI and / or from a server.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the one or more auxiliary sensors include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a volatile organic compound sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, a particulate matter sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, an ethylene sensor, a formaldehyde sensor, a radon sensor, a methane sensor, an ozone sensor, a sulfur dioxide sensor, a nitric oxide sensor, an oxygen sensor, and a nitrous oxide sensor.

[0012] A system for calibrating an indoor air quality (IAQ) sensor associated with an area of ​​interest (AOI) is also described herein. The system includes a controller associated with a building management system (BMS) of the AOI, wherein the controller communicates with one or more IAQ sensors associated with the AOI; wherein the controller is configured to: start the BMS to create a predetermined calibration environment for the one or more IAQ sensors of the AOI; in the predetermined calibration environment, monitor the IAQ values ​​detected by the one or more IAQ sensors at the AOI; and calibrate the one or more IAQ sensors based on the monitored IAQ values ​​detected by each of the IAQ sensors.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the controller is configured to calibrate the one or more IAQ sensors based on an average of the monitored IAQ values ​​detected by each of the IAQ sensors.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the controller creates a predetermined calibration environment by starting the BMS to perform one or more of: adjusting the inflow of outside air into the AOI to a first predetermined maximum level, adjusting the ventilation rate of the AOI to a second predetermined maximum level, and increasing the degree of air filtration in the AOI to a third predetermined maximum level.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the controller is configured to: activate an air handling unit (AHU) associated with the BMS to adjust the inflow of outside air into the AOI to a first predetermined maximum level, and / or further adjust the ventilation rate of the AOI to a second predetermined maximum level; and activate the AHU or air filtration system associated with the BMS to increase the degree of air filtration in the AOI to a third predetermined maximum level.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the system includes one or more occupancy sensors located at the AOI and in communication with a controller, the one or more occupancy sensors being operable to detect the presence of an occupant at the AOI, wherein the controller is configured to create a predetermined calibration environment when no occupants are detected in the AOI by the one or more occupancy sensors.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the system includes one or more auxiliary sensors, wherein the auxiliary sensors include one or more of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a volatile organic compound sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, a particulate matter sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, an ethylene sensor, a formaldehyde sensor, a radon sensor, a methane sensor, an ozone sensor, a sulfur dioxide sensor, a nitric oxide sensor, an oxygen sensor, and a nitrous oxide sensor located outside the AOI and communicating with the controller, wherein the one or more auxiliary sensors are operable to detect temperature and humidity and / or air quality parameter levels of the external air, including one or more of volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ethylene, formaldehyde, radon, methane, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide, oxygen, and nitrous oxide present in the external air, wherein the controller is configured to create a predetermined calibration environment when the monitored levels of the air quality parameters, temperature, and humidity of the external air are detected to be within predefined thresholds.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the AOI is a multi-area building including one or more areas.

[0019] Further described herein is a method for creating a calibration environment for an indoor air quality (IAQ) sensor associated with an area of ​​interest (AOI), the method comprising the steps of enabling a building management system associated with the AOI to perform one or more of: regulating an inflow of outdoor air into the AOI to a first predetermined maximum level, regulating a ventilation rate of the AOI to a second predetermined maximum level, and increasing a degree of air filtration in the AOI to a third predetermined maximum level.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the calibration environment is created at predefined times including night time and / or when no occupants are detected at the AOI.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, a calibration environment is created when the air quality of the outside air is below a predefined threshold.

[0022] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, features, and techniques of the subject disclosure will become more apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the subject disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the subject disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the subject disclosure.

[0024] In the drawings, similar components and / or features may have the same reference number. In addition, various component assemblies of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference number with a second reference number that distinguishes between the similar components. If only the first reference number is used in the specification, the description applies to any of the similar components having the same first reference number, regardless of the second reference number.

[0025] Figure 1 Illustrated is an exemplary representation of a system implemented in a multi-zone environment / AOI for creating an artificial calibration environment to calibrate IAQ sensors of the multi-zone environment / AOI in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 2 Illustrated are exemplary steps involved in a method for creating an artificial calibration environment for calibrating IAQ sensors of a multi-zone environment / AOI in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 3 The diagrams illustrate the respective Figure 1 and Figure 2An exemplary view of an air handling unit of a BMS implemented in the systems and methods. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following is a detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are described in such detail so as to clearly convey the present disclosure. However, the number of details provided is not intended to limit the intended variations of the embodiments; on the contrary, the present invention is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the subject disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0029] Various terms are used herein. To the extent a term used in a claim is not defined below, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have given that term at the time the application was filed as reflected in printed publications and issued patents.

[0030] In the specification, when depicting the device in the accompanying drawings, reference may be made to the spatial relationship between various components and to the spatial orientation of various aspects of the components. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete reading of the subject disclosure, the components of this invention described herein can be positioned in any desired direction. Therefore, the use of terms such as "above", "below", "above", "below", "first", "second" or other similar terms to describe the spatial relationship between various components or to describe the spatial orientation of aspects of such components should be understood to describe the relative relationship between components or the spatial orientation of aspects of such components, and the components described herein can be oriented in any desired direction, respectively.

[0031] In a multi-zone environment, such as but not limited to a building with multiple zones (such as floors and rooms), a building management system (BMS) can be used to monitor and control the indoor air quality (IAQ) of the environment. The BMS may include multiple HVAC devices installed at different zones for independently adjusting the IAQ of each zone, wherein each HVAC device may be further fluidically connected to an air handling unit (AHU). The BMS may further include dampers for controlling the airflow entering and leaving the zone and an air filtration system for filtering the air supplied to the zone. In addition, the BMS may include one or more IAQ sensors assigned to each zone and arranged at each zone for monitoring different IAQ parameters of the environment. The IAQ sensor may allow a user to monitor the IAQ level maintained at each zone, and may also monitor the real-time IAQ readings of each zone. These IAQ sensors may include, but are not limited to, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, carbon monoxide (CO) sensors, carbon dioxide sensors (CO2), volatile organic compounds (VOC) sensors, carcinogenic formaldehyde sensors, particulate matter sensors, ethylene sensors, radon sensors, methane sensors, ozone sensors, sulfur dioxide sensors, nitric oxide sensors, oxygen sensors, and / or nitrous oxide sensors.

[0032] IAQ sensors associated with an environment are calibrated periodically or annually to operate effectively and comply with industry and government standards. These IAQ sensors may require a predictable calibration environment in a multi-zone environment (where they are installed) as a calibration baseline for performing calibration. For example, since indoor air quality parameters (such as carbon dioxide) may fluctuate in predictable natural cycles, a low value (usually an unoccupied nighttime value) may be accepted as a calibration baseline for calibrating a carbon dioxide sensor. However, other sensors such as volatile organic compound sensors, particulate matter sensors, etc. may not follow predictable cycles, and therefore, automatic calibration baselines for these IAQ sensors may be unreliable and ineffective.

[0033] This invention provides a simple, efficient and cost-effective solution involving an existing building management system of a multi-zone environment (area of ​​interest) for creating an artificial calibration environment or calibration baseline for IAQ sensors to calibrate the IAQ sensors of the multi-zone environment without the need for additional hardware components.

[0034] refer to Figure 1, a system 100 of a building management system (BMS) configured with a multi-zone environment / area of ​​interest 102 is disclosed, which can enable the creation of an artificially predictable calibration environment or baseline of an indoor air quality (IAQ) sensor 110 of the multi-zone environment / AOI 102 for automatic calibration of the IAQ sensor 110 without any additional hardware components. The BMS may be able to control and maintain the IAQ of the environment / AOI 102. The multi-zone environment / AOI 102 (also referred to herein as an area of ​​interest (AOI)) may include a plurality of areas 104-1 to 104-N (collectively referred to herein as areas 104). In one or more embodiments, the environment / AOI 102 may be a building, and the areas 104 may be rooms of the building 102. However, in other embodiments, the environment / AOI 102 may be cargo, and the areas 104 may be containers or storage spaces associated with the cargo 102, and all such embodiments are within the scope of the subject disclosure.

[0035] The system 100 or BMS may include one or more HVAC devices 108-1 to 108-N (collectively referred to herein as HVAC devices 108) configured with zones 104-1 to 104-N such that at least one HVAC device 104 is assigned to and fluidly connected to a space associated with each of the zones 104. Each of the HVAC devices 108 may further be fluidly connected to an air handling unit 106 installed in the AOI 102. In addition, each zone 104-1 to 104-N may include at least one indoor air quality (IAQ) sensor 110-1 to 110-N (collectively referred to herein as IAQ sensor 110) to monitor the IAQ of the zones 104-1 to 104-N. The IAQ sensor 110 may be configured to be communicatively coupled or communicate with the HVAC device 108, the central server 114, and / or a controller 112 associated with the BMS via a network 118. The detailed operation and construction of the BMS and the AHU 106 have been described in subsequent paragraphs.

[0036] As illustrated, in one or more embodiments, HVAC device 108-1 may be allocated and installed in zone 104-1, and IAQ sensor 110-1 may be allocated and disposed in zone 104-1. Additionally, HVAC device 108-2 may be allocated and installed in zone 104-2, and IAQ sensor 110-2 may be allocated and disposed in zone 104-2. Similarly, a number N of HVAC devices 108-N and IAQ sensors 110-N may be allocated and installed at a number N of zones 104-N of AOI 102. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, although various embodiments of the subject disclosure have been described with respect to an AOI having three zones 104-1, 104-2, 104-N, the teachings of the subject disclosure are applicable to AOIs having any number of zones, and all such embodiments are within the scope of the subject disclosure.

[0037] In one or more embodiments, the IAQ sensors 110 employed in the environment / AOI 102 may be carbon monoxide (CO) sensors, carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors, volatile organic compound (VOC) sensors, carcinogenic formaldehyde sensors, particulate matter sensors, ethylene sensors, radon sensors, methane sensors, ozone sensors, sulfur dioxide sensors, nitrogen monoxide sensors, oxygen sensors, and nitrous oxide sensors, but are not limited to such sensors. In addition, temperature sensors and humidity sensors may be used in the AOI 102. The captured IAQ data of the area 104 may then be transmitted to the central server 114 or the controller 112 of the BMS or the HVAC device 108 via a transceiver for further processing, which may further allow the BMS to control the operation of the connected HVAC device 108 based on the user-defined IAQ level set by the user in the IAQ sensor 110. In one or more embodiments, different IAQ sensors 110 may be distributed at different locations within the area 104 of the AOI 102. The IAQ sensors 110 may be operatively connected in a mesh network, wherein a master sensor among the sensors 110 may communicate with a server 114 or a controller 112 of the BMS via a wired medium or a wireless medium.

[0038] In some embodiments, the IAQ sensor 110, the temperature sensor, and the humidity sensor may be a single sensing device, wherein the corresponding sensors may be mounted in a single housing, which may be provided at each area of ​​the environment / AOI. The IAQ sensor / sensing device 110 may be operable to monitor the levels of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, total volatile compounds, carcinogenic formaldehyde, ethylene, radon, methane, ozone, oxygen, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen monoxide, nitrous oxide, and bacteria present in the area 104 in which the IAQ sensor / sensing device is present, but is not limited to such substances. In addition, the IAQ sensor / sensing device 110 may include an input unit, such as a keyboard or buttons, which may allow a user to monitor and set the IAQ levels to be maintained at various areas. In addition, the IAQ sensor / sensing device 110 may include a display unit configured to display the monitored IAQ of the space associated with the area 104 and the IAQ value set by the user. The captured IAQ data of the zone 104 may then be transmitted via the transceiver to the central server 114 and / or controller 112 and / or HVAC device 108 of the BMS for further processing, which may further allow the BMS to control the operation of the connected HVAC device 108 based on the user-defined IAQ level set by the user in the IAQ sensor 110.

[0039] The BMS or AHU 106 may include a duct system 116 including a supply airflow duct including a plurality of interconnected supply passages fluidly connected to each zone 104 via the HVAC device 108 so that supply air (SA) flows into the zone 104 of the AOI 102 after being conditioned by the corresponding HVAC device 108, and a return air duct including a plurality of interconnected return passage ducts so that return air (RA) flows out of each of the zones 104. The HVAC system / BMS or AHU 106 may further include a central damper (Dc) configured to regulate the flow of supply air SA entering the supply airflow duct 116, the supply air SA including any one or a mixture of outside air OA and return air RA. A plurality of zone dampers D1 to Dn may be installed in the plurality of interconnected supply passage ducts such that one of the zone dampers D1 to Dn is configured in each of the supply passage ducts for individually regulating the flow of supply air entering each zone 104 via the HVAC device 108. The central damper Dc and the zone dampers D1 to Dn may facilitate controlling the ventilation of the zones 104. The AHU 106 or each HVAC device 108 may include a cooling unit, a heating unit, a set of filters, a dehumidification unit, a fan assembly, etc., which may facilitate adjusting the quality of air supplied to each zone 104. The set of filters may facilitate controlling the degree of filtration of the air supplied to the zones 104. The supplied air (supply air) may include outside air OA, return air RA, or a combination thereof. Figure 2 The detailed operation of the HVAC system and AHU 106 will be described below.

[0040] The server 114 or controller 112 may be configured to be operatively connected to the AHU 106, dampers D, HVAC devices 108, IAQ sensors 110, and other components of the system 100 or BMS to control the operation of the BMS. The server 114 may include a processing device including one or more processors coupled to a memory device storing instructions executable by the processing device to enable the server 114 to perform one or more specified operations.

[0041] The server 114 or the controller 112 may initiate a component of the BMS or AHU to create an artificial calibration environment or calibration baseline for the IAQ sensor in order to calibrate the IAQ sensor 110. In one or more embodiments, the controller 112 may initiate the BMS or AHU 106 to maximally treat and circulate the air at the area 104 by increasing the ventilation, outdoor air percentage, dedicated outdoor air ventilation, air filtration level, and / or similar parameters at the area 104 of the environment / AOI 102 to ensure a consistent calibration environment or calibration baseline in the environment / AOI. In addition, in one or more embodiments, in order to use this consistent environment as a calibration baseline, a reference sensor, which may be a new, factory-calibrated sensor (not shown), may be optionally incorporated into the supply channel duct 116, or the air as treated by the AHU 106 may be considered clean. The controller 112 may be configured to calibrate the IAQ sensor 110 by supplying maximally filtered / fresh air to both the reference sensor to be calibrated and the IAQ sensor 110. The controller 112 may compare the IAQ values ​​sensed by the IAQ sensor (to be calibrated) and the reference sensor in order to calibrate the IAQ sensor because both the reference sensor and the IAQ sensor share a common gas source.

[0042] In addition, when the environment / AOI 102 is made consistent, the IAQ sensors 110 in the environment / AOI 102 may be allowed to detect the IAQ value of the calibration environment, and the IAQ sensors 110 may be calibrated accordingly by the BMS or controller 112 based on the average of the IAQ values ​​detected by each of the IAQ sensors 110-1 to 110-N. The averaging method may be suitable for IAQ sensors with random drift. However, once the environment / AOI is made consistent, other calibration techniques may also be employed.

[0043] In one or more embodiments, the controller 112 may be configured to activate the BMS / AHU 106 to maximize the treatment and circulation of air at the zone 104, thereby creating a predetermined calibration environment for the IAQ sensors 110 of the AOI 102. The controller 112 may create the predetermined calibration environment by activating the fan assembly, the central damper, and the zone dampers of the BMS / AHU 106 to perform one or more of: adjusting the inflow of outside air into the AOI 102 to a first predetermined maximum level, adjusting the ventilation rate of the AOI 102 to a second predetermined maximum level, and increasing the degree of air filtration in the AOI 102 to a third predetermined maximum level. Once the predetermined calibration environment is created, the controller 112 may monitor the IAQ values ​​detected by the IAQ sensors 110 at the AOI in the predetermined calibration environment, and calibrate the IAQ sensors 110 accordingly based on the monitored IAQ values ​​detected by each of the IAQ sensors 110. In one or more embodiments, the controller 112 may be configured to calibrate the IAQ sensors 110 based on an average of the monitored IAQ values ​​detected by each of the IAQ sensors 110 .

[0044] In one or more embodiments, the controller 112 may activate the fan assembly of the AHU or BMS, the central damper Dc, and the zone dampers D1 to Dn to adjust the inflow of outside air into the AOI 102 to a first predetermined maximum level, and / or further adjust the ventilation rate of the AOI 102 to a second predetermined maximum level. In addition, the controller 112 may activate the AHU 106 or the air filter to increase the degree of air filtration in the AOI 102 to a third predetermined maximum level.

[0045] In one or more embodiments, the system may include one or more occupancy sensors 120-1 to 120-N (collectively referred to herein as occupancy sensors 120) located at the regions 104-1 to 104-N of the AOI 102, which may be in communication with the controller 112. The occupancy sensors 120 may be operable to detect the presence of occupants at the regions 104 / AOI 102. The controller 112 may be configured to create a predetermined calibration environment when no occupants are detected by the occupancy sensors 120 in the AOI 102. This may help eliminate any disturbances caused by occupants during air handling and circulation at the AOI 102 while creating the calibration environment, and further protect the occupants from any exposure to the calibration environment during the process.

[0046] In one or more embodiments, the system may include one or more auxiliary sensors 122 located outside the AOI 102 or in the channel duct of the BMS / AHU, the auxiliary sensors 122 including one or more of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a volatile organic compound sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, a particulate matter sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, an ethylene sensor, a formaldehyde sensor, a radon sensor, a methane sensor, an ozone sensor, a sulfur dioxide sensor, a nitrogen oxide sensor, and a nitrous oxide sensor, which can communicate with the controller 112 of the BMS. The auxiliary sensors 122 can be operable to monitor the temperature, humidity, and air quality parameter levels of the outside air OA or the return air RA. The controller 112 can be configured to create a predetermined calibration environment based on the monitored levels of the air quality parameters, temperature, and humidity of the outside air OA. For example, based on whether the monitored levels are within predefined thresholds. For example, if the IAQ of the environment / AOI 102 is detected to be better than the outside air, the controller 112 may restrict the inflow of outside air while creating a calibration environment for the IAQ sensor 110, because low-quality outside air may affect the creation of a clean and treated calibration environment for the IAQ sensor 110. However, if the outside air is detected to be better than the IAQ of the environment / AOI 102, or if the outside air is detected to be above a safe level, the controller 112 may allow the inflow of outside air for creating a calibration environment for the IAQ sensor 110. In one or more embodiments, if one or more of the monitored parameters, temperature, and / or humidity values ​​in one zone (e.g., an indoor zone) are lower than the corresponding one or more of the monitored parameters, temperature, and / or humidity values ​​in another zone (e.g., an outdoor zone), the air quality in the zone may be considered better. In one or more embodiments, if the average value of the values ​​monitored by the sensors in one zone is lower than the average value of the values ​​monitored by the sensors in another zone, the air quality in the zone may be considered better.

[0047] In one or more embodiments, the system 100 and / or the server 114 and / or the controller 112 may be operatively coupled to a website and thus operable and monitorable from any Internet-enabled user device or mobile device. Examples of user devices or mobile devices may include, but are not limited to, portable computers, personal digital assistants, handheld devices, and workstations. The IAQ sensors 110 and the HVAC devices 108 may communicate with each other and with the server 114 or controller 112 of the BMS via a network 118 via wired and / or wireless media.

[0048] In one implementation, the network 118 may be a wireless network, a wired network, or a combination thereof. The network 118 may be implemented as one of different types of networks, such as an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, and the like. In addition, the network 118 may be either a dedicated network or a shared network. A shared network represents an association of different types of networks that communicate with each other using various protocols (e.g., Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), and the like). In addition, the network 118 may include various network devices, including transceivers, routers, bridges, servers, computing devices, storage devices, and the like. In another implementation, the network 118 may be a cellular network or mobile communication network based on various technologies, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile 100 (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), LoRaWAN, Long Term Evolution (LTE), WiMAX, 5G or 6G network protocols, and the like.

[0049] refer to Figure 2 , a method 200 for creating an artificial calibration environment to calibrate an IAQ sensor of a multi-zone environment / AOI. The method 300 may involve the AHU 106, the HVAC device 108, the IAQ sensor 110, the server 114, the controller 112, and the Figure 1 The method 200 may include step 202 of creating a predetermined calibration environment at the AOI by enabling the BMS associated with the AOI to perform one or more of: adjusting an inflow of outside air into the AOI to a first predetermined maximum level, adjusting a ventilation rate of the AOI to a second predetermined maximum level, and increasing a degree of air filtration in the AOI to a third predetermined maximum level.

[0050] The method 200 may include a step 204 of monitoring the IAQ values ​​detected by one or more IAQ sensors at the AOI in a predetermined calibration environment. In addition, the method 200 may include a step 206 of calibrating the IAQ sensor based on the monitored IAQ values ​​detected by each of the IAQ sensors. In one or more embodiments, step 206 includes calibrating the IAQ sensor based on an average of the monitored IAQ values ​​detected by each of the IAQ sensors.

[0051] In one or more embodiments, step 202 may include activating a central damper and / or a zone damper associated with each zone in the zone and a fan assembly associated with the AHU to adjust the inflow of outside air into the zone to a first predetermined maximum level and / or further adjust the ventilation rate of the zone to a second predetermined maximum level. In addition, step 202 may include activating an air filter of the AHU or an air filtration system associated with the BMS to increase the degree of air filtration in the AOI to a third predetermined maximum level.

[0052] In one or more embodiments, the calibration environment may be created when no occupants are present in the environment / AOI. In addition, the calibration environment may be created at predefined times including night time or when the outside air quality is better than a predefined threshold.

[0053] refer to Figure 3 In one or more embodiments, the air handling unit (AHU) 108 employed in the system 100 and method 200 can be used to condition and circulate air within the environment / area 104 of the AOI 102. The AHU 106 can be part of a larger heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system of the AOI 102, which can be connected to the HVAC equipment assigned to each area 104. The AHU 106 is a combination of elements in a large, accessible box-like unit installed at the AOI 102, which can be responsible for conditioning the supply air to ensure that the supply air is at a desired temperature, humidity, and air quality. The AHU 106 can include a blower / fan assembly 302, a filter 304, a heating or cooling coil 306, a humidifier or dehumidifier 308, a heat exchanger 310, a mixing chamber 312, and the like. The blower or fan assembly 302 can be responsible for moving air through the AHU 106 or into the area, while the filter 304 can remove dust, pollen, and other contaminants from the outside air OA or the return air RA. Depending on the air purity requirements, filters 304 may be selected to provide higher or lower retention of particles, viruses, bacteria, odors, and other air pollutants. Heating or cooling coils 306 may be used to regulate the temperature of the supply air SA, while humidifiers and dehumidifiers 308 control the moisture content of the air supplied to the zones 104. Heat exchanger devices 310 may transfer temperature between two fluids, in this case coolant and air separated by a solid barrier.

[0054] The AHU 106 or BMS can manage the proper ventilation of the air at the area 104, and further perform other functions such as, but not limited to, filtering and controlling the quality of the air accessible to the area 104, and controlling the temperature of the air, which regulates the cooling or heating of the air conditioning system, so that the IAQ value in the area 104 is within a desired or user-defined range. The BMS can further monitor and control the relative humidity in the area 104 for greater indoor comfort. It is to be appreciated that the same BMS of the environment / AOI can enable the creation of an artificially predictable calibration environment or baseline for the IAQ sensor 110 of the environment / AOI 102 for automatic calibration of the IAQ sensor 110 without requiring any additional hardware components, thereby making the system 100 and method 200 simple, efficient, and cost-effective.

[0055] Therefore, the present invention provides a simple, efficient and cost-effective system and method for creating an artificial calibration environment or baseline for IAQ sensors to calibrate the IAQ sensors of the multi-zone environment / AOI involving existing building management systems without the need for additional hardware components.

[0056] Although the subject disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made, and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof, without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure as defined by the appended claims. The teachings of the subject disclosure may be modified to accommodate specific circumstances or materials without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure. Therefore, it is intended that the subject disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but rather that the subject disclosure includes all embodiments that fall within the scope of the subject disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0057] In interpreting the specification, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, used, or combined with other elements, components, or steps not explicitly referenced. In the case where the specification claims refer to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C, ..., and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, rather than A plus N or B plus N, etc.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating an indoor air quality (IAQ) sensor associated with an area of ​​interest (AOI), the method comprising the steps of: creating a predetermined calibration environment for one or more IAQ sensors associated with the AOI; monitoring, at predefined times, IAQ values ​​detected by the one or more IAQ sensors at the AOI in the predetermined calibration environment; as well as The one or more IAQ sensors are calibrated based on the monitored IAQ values ​​detected by each of the IAQ sensors.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The method comprises the step of calibrating the one or more IAQ sensors based on an average of the monitored IAQ values ​​detected by each of the IAQ sensors.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein: The method of creating the predetermined calibration environment comprises the steps of enabling a building management system (BMS) associated with the AOI to perform one or more of: regulating the inflow of outside air into the AOI to a first predetermined maximum level, regulating the ventilation rate of the AOI to a second predetermined maximum level, and increasing the degree of air filtration in the AOI to a third predetermined maximum level.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The method comprises the following steps: activating an air handling unit (AHU) associated with the BMS to adjust the inflow of the outside air into the AOI to the first predetermined maximum level, and / or further adjust the ventilation rate of the AOI to the second predetermined maximum level; and The AHU or air filtration system associated with the BMS is activated to increase the degree of air filtration in the AOI to the third predetermined maximum level.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The AOI is a multi-area building comprising one or more areas, wherein the method of creating the calibration environment comprises the following steps: activating an air damper associated with each of the one or more zones and a fan assembly associated with the AHU to adjust the inflow of the outside air into the one or more zones to the first predetermined maximum level and / or further adjust the ventilation rate of the one or more zones to the second predetermined maximum level; and The AHU or air filtration system associated with the BMS is activated to increase the degree of air filtration in the one or more zones to the third predetermined maximum level.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The predetermined calibration environment is created when no occupant is detected in the AOI.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: During said predefined time including night time, said predetermined calibration environment is created.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The predetermined calibration environment is created when the temperature and humidity of the external air and / or the level of air quality parameters include one or more of volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ethylene, formaldehyde, radon, methane, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen monoxide, oxygen and nitrous oxide present in the external air, wherein data related to the humidity, the temperature and the air quality parameters of the external air are received from one or more auxiliary sensors located outside the AOI and / or from a server.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The one or more auxiliary sensors include one or more of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a volatile organic compound sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, a particulate matter sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, an ethylene sensor, a formaldehyde sensor, a radon sensor, a methane sensor, an ozone sensor, an oxygen sensor, a sulfur dioxide sensor, a nitric oxide sensor, and a nitrous oxide sensor.

10. A system for calibrating an indoor air quality (IAQ) sensor associated with an area of ​​interest (AOI), the system comprising: a controller associated with a building management system (BMS) of the AOI, wherein the controller is in communication with one or more IAQ sensors associated with the AOI; The controller is configured to: activating the BMS to create a predetermined calibration environment for the one or more IAQ sensors of the AOI; monitoring, at predefined times, IAQ values ​​detected by the one or more IAQ sensors at the AOI in the predetermined calibration environment; as well as The one or more IAQ sensors are calibrated based on the monitored IAQ values ​​detected by each of the IAQ sensors.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein: The controller is configured to calibrate the one or more IAQ sensors based on an average of the monitored IAQ values ​​detected by each of the IAQ sensors.

12. The system according to any one of claims 10 and 11, wherein: The controller creates the predetermined calibration environment by starting the BMS to perform one or more of: adjusting an inflow of outside air into the AOI to a first predetermined maximum level, adjusting a ventilation rate of the AOI to a second predetermined maximum level, and increasing an air filtration degree in the AOI to a third predetermined maximum level.

13. A system according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein: The controller is configured to: activating an air handling unit (AHU) associated with the BMS to adjust the inflow of the outside air into the AOI to the first predetermined maximum level, and / or further adjust the ventilation rate of the AOI to the second predetermined maximum level; as well as The AHU or air filtration system associated with the BMS is activated to increase the degree of air filtration in the AOI to the third predetermined maximum level.

14. A system according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein: The system includes one or more occupancy sensors located at the AOI and in communication with the controller, the one or more occupancy sensors being operable to detect the presence of an occupant at the AOI, Wherein the controller is configured to create the predetermined calibration environment when no occupants are detected by the one or more occupancy sensors in the AOI.

15. A system according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein: The system includes one or more auxiliary sensors, the auxiliary sensors including one or more of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a volatile organic compound sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, a particulate matter sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, an ethylene sensor, a formaldehyde sensor, a radon sensor, a methane sensor, an ozone sensor, a sulfur dioxide sensor, a nitric oxide sensor, an oxygen sensor, and a nitrous oxide sensor located outside the AOI and in communication with the controller, the one or more auxiliary sensors being operable to detect temperature and humidity of the outside air and / or air quality parameter levels, including one or more of volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ethylene, formaldehyde, radon, methane, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide, oxygen, and nitrous oxide present in the outside air, Wherein the controller is configured to create the predetermined calibration environment when the monitored levels of the air quality parameter, the temperature and the humidity of the outside air are detected to be within predefined thresholds.

16. A system according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein: The AOI is a multi-area building comprising one or more areas.

17. A system according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein: The one or more IAQ sensors include one or more of a volatile organic compound sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, a particulate matter sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, an ethylene sensor, a formaldehyde sensor, a radon sensor, a methane sensor, an oxygen sensor, an ozone sensor, a sulfur dioxide sensor, a nitric oxide sensor, and a nitrous oxide sensor.

18. A method for creating a calibration environment for an indoor air quality (IAQ) sensor associated with an area of ​​interest (AOI), the method comprising the steps of: enabling a building management system associated with the AOI to perform one or more of: regulating an inflow of outdoor air into the AOI to a first predetermined maximum level, regulating a ventilation rate of the AOI to a second predetermined maximum level, and increasing a degree of air filtration in the AOI to a third predetermined maximum level.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein: The calibration environment is created at predefined times including night time and / or when no occupants are detected at the AOI.

20. The method according to any one of claims 18 and 19, wherein: When the air quality of the external air is lower than a predefined threshold, the calibration environment is created.

Images