System and method for determining air quality characteristics of enclosed volume

Abstract

Disclosed is a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for determining a characteristic air quality recovery score for a contaminant in an enclosed volume, comprising a processor configured to: obtain contaminant data comprising a plurality of data points indicative of contaminant concentrations of the contaminant over different times; identifying an event comprising a sub-range of data points from the plurality of data points, the event comprising at least one data point satisfying a predetermined criterion of a maximum value or a minimum value; determining that the event belongs to an attenuation event type that follows a contaminant attenuation pattern; determining a pollutant attenuation characteristic according to the event; and determining the characteristic air quality recovery score for the contaminant based on the contaminant attenuation characteristic. Further disclosed is a method for operating the HVAC system, and a processor for the HVAC system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, a processor for the HVAC system, and a method of operating the HVAC system for determining air quality-related characteristics of an enclosed volume. Background Art

[0002] The following discussion of the background technology is intended only to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the discussion does not acknowledge or admit that any of the material mentioned is published, known or part of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art in any jurisdiction as of the priority date of the present disclosure.

[0003] Conventional pollutant sensors such as carbon dioxide sensors may be employed to determine pollutant levels in indoor air quality management systems and / or HVAC equipment. Such conventional pollutant sensors are currently used to provide information about air exchange rates within an enclosed volume.

[0004] However, continuously monitoring the amount of air exchange rate within an enclosed volume is challenging because variables such as doors, windows, variable ventilation rates, and number of occupants can skew the results.

[0005] Additionally, such sensors do not provide information about the impact of the air exchange rate on the overall air quality of the enclosed volume. This results in ambiguity about the air quality within the enclosed volume and its impact on the occupants of the enclosed volume.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for an improved system that attempts to address at least one of the above-mentioned problems. Summary of the invention

[0007] The concept of the present disclosure is to provide an improved HVAC system for determining air quality related characteristics of an enclosed volume in real time or near real time. To this end, the improved system provides information to a user about the impact of the air exchange rate on the overall air quality of the enclosed volume. It is found that this can be determined based on a characteristic air quality recovery score of the pollutants in the enclosed volume. In particular, the improved system provides a characteristic air quality recovery score that indicates the decay rate of the pollutants in the enclosed volume. The improved system also allows at least one operating parameter of the system to be adjusted based on the characteristic air quality recovery score. Since pollutants require time to disperse from the enclosed volume, providing a characteristic air quality recovery score provides the user with a better indication of the removal of pollutants from the enclosed volume to prevent the pollutant concentration from reaching undesirable levels, such as unsafe levels. This may help the user determine a safe occupancy rate for the enclosed volume.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an HVAC system for determining a characteristic air quality restoration score of a pollutant in an enclosed volume is provided. The HVAC system includes a processor configured to obtain pollutant data including a plurality of data points indicating the pollutant concentration of the pollutant at different times. The processor can also be configured to: identify an event including a sub-range of data points from the plurality of data points, the event including at least one data point that meets a predetermined criterion of a maximum value or a minimum value; and determine that the event belongs to an attenuation event type that follows a pollutant attenuation pattern. The processor can be further configured to: determine a pollutant attenuation characteristic based on the event; and determine the characteristic air quality restoration score of the pollutant based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic.

[0009] In various embodiments, determining that the event belongs to the decay event type that follows the pollutant decay pattern may include determining a first increase in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from current pollutant data.

[0010] In various embodiments, determining the characteristic air quality restoration score based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic may include: calculating a plurality of event air quality restoration scores; and determining the characteristic air quality restoration score based on the plurality of event air quality restoration scores. In some embodiments, determining the characteristic air quality restoration score may include calculating a statistical measure of the plurality of event air quality restoration scores.

[0011] In various embodiments, determining the pollutant attenuation characteristic based on the event may include determining a first point having a first maximum value, the first point corresponding to the determined first increase in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from the current pollutant data. Determining the pollutant attenuation characteristic based on the event may also include determining a second point having a first minimum value, the second point corresponding to a detected first decrease in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from the first point.

[0012] In various embodiments, determining the event air quality restoration score for the pollutant based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic may include calculating a first parameter based on the first point having the first maximum value and the second point having the first minimum value.

[0013] In various embodiments, determining the contaminant attenuation characteristic based on the event may further include determining a third point having a second maximum value, the third point corresponding to a second determined increase in the contaminant concentration of the contaminant from the second point. Determining the contaminant attenuation characteristic based on the event may further include determining a fourth point having a second minimum value, the fourth point corresponding to a second determined decrease in the contaminant concentration of the contaminant from the third point.

[0014] In various embodiments, determining the event air quality recovery score of the pollutant based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic may also include: calculating a second parameter based on the third point having the second maximum value and the fourth point having the second minimum value; and calculating an average of the first parameter and the second parameter.

[0015] In various embodiments, the system may further include at least one sensor for detecting occupancy of the enclosed volume; wherein the processor is in data communication with the at least one sensor. The processor may be configured to obtain the occupancy of the enclosed volume from the at least one sensor. The processor may be configured to: compare the characteristic air quality restoration score with a predetermined threshold air quality restoration score; and adjust at least one operating parameter of the system based on the comparison of the air quality restoration score with the predetermined threshold air quality restoration score and / or the occupancy of the enclosed volume.

[0016] In various embodiments, the system may further include a scheduler for storing scheduling data indicating the scheduled use of the enclosed volume. The processor is in data communication with the scheduler. The processor may be configured to obtain the time of the scheduled use of the enclosed volume from the scheduler based on the scheduling data. The processor may be configured to: determine a time slot indicating a time difference between a current time and the time of the scheduled use of the enclosed volume; and calculate a duration required for the pollutant concentration to reach a predetermined threshold based on the characteristic air quality restoration score. The processor may be further configured to: determine whether the duration is within the time slot; and adjust the at least one operating parameter of the system based on determining that the duration is within the time slot.

[0017] In various embodiments, adjusting the at least one operating parameter of the system may include adjusting an air flow rate of a ventilation device. The ventilation device may be configured to inject fresh air into the enclosed volume and / or increase a removal rate of the contaminants from the enclosed volume.

[0018] In various embodiments, the pollutant may be carbon dioxide.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an enclosed volume including an HVAC system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is provided.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a control device for an HVAC system is provided, the control device including a processor configured to determine a characteristic air quality restoration score of a pollutant in an enclosed volume. The processor is in data communication with a memory having instructions stored therein. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to obtain pollutant data including a plurality of data points indicating the pollutant concentration of the pollutant at different times. The processor also identifies an event including a sub-range of data points among the plurality of data points, the event including at least one data point that meets a predetermined criterion of a maximum value or a minimum value. The processor also determines that the event belongs to an attenuation event type that follows a pollutant attenuation pattern, and determines a pollutant attenuation characteristic based on the event. The processor also determines the characteristic air quality restoration score of the pollutant based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for determining a characteristic air quality restoration score of a pollutant in an enclosed volume is provided. The method includes providing a processor for obtaining pollutant data including a plurality of data points, the plurality of data points indicating the pollutant concentration of the pollutant at different times. The method also includes: identifying an event including a sub-range of data points among the plurality of data points, the event including at least one data point that meets a predetermined criterion of a maximum value or a minimum value; and determining that the event belongs to an attenuation event type that follows a pollutant attenuation pattern. The method also includes: determining a pollutant attenuation characteristic based on the event; and determining the characteristic air quality restoration score of the pollutant based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic.

[0022] In various embodiments, determining that the event belongs to the decay event type that follows the pollutant decay pattern may include determining a first increase in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from current pollutant data.

[0023] In various embodiments, determining the characteristic air quality restoration score based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic may include: calculating a plurality of event air quality restoration scores; and determining the characteristic air quality restoration score based on the plurality of event air quality restoration scores. In some embodiments, determining the characteristic air quality restoration score may further include calculating a statistical measure of the plurality of event air quality restoration scores.

[0024] In various embodiments, determining the pollutant attenuation characteristic based on the event may include determining a first point having a first maximum value, the first point corresponding to a determined first increase in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from the current pollutant data. Determining the pollutant attenuation characteristic based on the event may also include determining a second point having a first minimum value, the second point corresponding to a determined first decrease in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from the first point.

[0025] In various embodiments, determining the event air quality restoration score for the pollutant based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic may include calculating a first parameter based on the first point having the first maximum value and the second point having the first minimum value.

[0026] In various embodiments, determining the contaminant attenuation characteristic based on the event may further include determining a third point having a second maximum value, the third point corresponding to a second determined increase in the contaminant concentration of the contaminant from the second point. Determining the contaminant attenuation characteristic based on the event may further include determining a fourth point having a second minimum value, the fourth point corresponding to a second determined decrease in the contaminant concentration of the contaminant from the third point.

[0027] In various embodiments, determining the event air quality recovery score of the pollutant based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic may also include: calculating a second parameter based on the third point having the second maximum value and the fourth point having the second minimum value; and calculating an average of the first parameter and the second parameter.

[0028] In various embodiments, the method may further include obtaining an occupancy of the enclosed volume from at least one sensor, the at least one sensor being configured to detect the occupancy of the enclosed volume. The method may further include comparing, by the processor, the characteristic air quality restoration score to a predetermined threshold air quality restoration score. The method may further include adjusting, by the processor, at least one operating parameter of the HVAC system based on the comparison of the characteristic air quality restoration score to the predetermined threshold air quality restoration score and / or the detected occupancy of the enclosed volume.

[0029] In various embodiments, the method may further include obtaining the time of the scheduled use of the enclosed volume from a scheduler based on schedule data, the scheduler being configured to store schedule data indicating the scheduled use of the enclosed volume. The method may further include: determining, by the processor, a time slot indicating a time difference between a current time and the time of the scheduled use of the enclosed volume; and calculating, by the processor, a duration required for the pollutant concentration to reach a predetermined threshold based on the characteristic air quality restoration score. The method may further include: determining, by the processor, whether the duration is within the time slot; and adjusting, by the processor, the at least one operating parameter of the HVAC system within the time slot based on determining the duration.

[0030] In various embodiments, adjusting the at least one operating parameter of the HVAC system may include adjusting an air flow rate of a ventilator configured to inject fresh air into the enclosed volume and / or increase a removal rate of the contaminants from the enclosed volume.

[0031] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising software instructions which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for determining a characteristic air quality restoration score for a pollutant in an enclosed volume. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The present disclosure will be better understood by reference to the detailed description when considered in conjunction with the non-limiting examples and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0033] Figure 1 An exemplary schematic illustration of an HVAC system 100 is shown, the HVAC system including a processor 110 for determining a characteristic air quality restoration score of a pollutant 104 in an enclosed volume 102;

[0034] Figure 2 An exemplary graph showing pollutant data 200 including a plurality of data points indicating the concentration of the pollutant 104 at different times;

[0035] Figure 3 Another exemplary schematic illustration of an HVAC system 300 is shown, the HVAC system including a processor 110 for determining a characteristic air quality restoration score of a pollutant 103 in an enclosed volume 102;

[0036] Figure 4 An exemplary schematic illustration of a control device 400 for an HVAC system is shown, the control device 400 including a processor 420 configured to determine a characteristic air quality restoration score of a pollutant in an enclosed volume;

[0037] Figure 5 An exemplary flow chart illustrating a method 500 for determining a characteristic air quality restoration score for a pollutant in an enclosed volume;

[0038] Figure 6 Another exemplary flow chart illustrating a method 600 for determining a characteristic air quality restoration score for a pollutant in an enclosed volume; and

[0039] Figure 7 Another exemplary flow chart of a method 700 for determining a characteristic air quality restoration score for a pollutant in an enclosed volume is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate in a diagrammatic manner the specific details and embodiments in which the present disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present disclosure. Other embodiments may be used, and structural and logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The various embodiments are not necessarily mutually exclusive, as some embodiments may be combined with one or more other embodiments to form new embodiments.

[0041] Features described in the context of one embodiment may be correspondingly applicable to the same or similar features in other embodiments. Features described in the context of one embodiment may be correspondingly applicable to other embodiments, even if not explicitly described in these other embodiments. Furthermore, additions and / or combinations and / or substitutions described for a feature in the context of one embodiment may be correspondingly applicable to the same or similar features in other embodiments.

[0042] In the context of various embodiments, the articles "a", "an", and "the" and the term "at least one" used with respect to a feature or element include reference to one or more features or elements. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0043] In the context of various embodiments, the terms "first", "second", "third" and "fourth" are used merely as symbols to indicate the order in which features or elements appear in the present disclosure.

[0044] Throughout this specification, as used herein, the term "HVAC system" refers to a system for indoor air quality, temperature and / or humidity management. The HVAC system can control air quality through air exchange (e.g., ventilation and / or filtration). The HVAC system can also include cooling and / or heating equipment for temperature and humidity management.

[0045] Throughout this specification, as used herein, the term "enclosed volume" refers to an enclosed space or area containing air having a concentration of pollutants.

[0046] Throughout this specification, as used herein, the term "pollutant" may refer to any substance that has an undesirable effect on or adversely affects the quality of air within an enclosed volume. In various embodiments, the pollutant may include one or more types of pollutants. In some embodiments, the pollutant may be a gas; and in one embodiment, the pollutant may be carbon dioxide. It is contemplated that the pollutant may be a chemical and / or particulate matter.

[0047] Throughout this specification, the term "contaminant attenuation pattern" may refer to a pattern (eg, shape) of contaminant data that indicates attenuation of a contaminant from an enclosed volume. In various embodiments, a contaminant attenuation pattern may include points having maximum and minimum values.

[0048] Throughout this specification, as used herein, the term "air quality restoration score" may be an indicator, such as an alphanumeric value, that provides an indication of the decay of a pollutant from an enclosed volume to a user. In various embodiments, the air quality restoration score may refer to the decay rate of the pollutant from the enclosed volume. Thus, the term "event air quality restoration score" may refer to an individual score obtained from at least two points that follow a pollutant decay pattern, while the term "characteristic air quality restoration score" may refer to an overall score indicating the overall decay rate of a pollutant from an enclosed volume, which may be based on multiple event air quality restoration scores.

[0049] Throughout this specification, as used herein, the term "obtain" refers to a processor actively obtaining or passively receiving data, such as pollutant data, occupancy data, and scheduling data from one or more sensors and / or schedulers. The processor may also obtain various data types from another processor or a communication interface (e.g., a user interface). The processor may also receive or obtain various data types via memory, registers, and / or analog digital ports.

[0050] Throughout this specification, as used herein, the term "maximum data point" refers to a plurality of points with maximum values ​​indicating an increase in pollutant concentration from a previous pollutant data concentration. Thus, as used herein, the term "minimum data point" refers to a plurality of points with minimum values ​​indicating a decrease in pollutant concentration from a maximum data point. In various embodiments, maximum and minimum data points may refer to local maximum and minimum data points, or global maximum and minimum data points.

[0051] Throughout this specification, as used herein, the phrase "point with a maximum or minimum value" refers to a point obtained from a plurality of data points corresponding to pollutant data, which has an extremum of a maximum or minimum value. The extremum point may be obtained directly from the pollutant data, or may be derived via mathematical optimization of a function of the pollutant data (e.g., curve fitting or interpolation of an array of pollutant data). In some embodiments, the extremum point with a maximum or minimum value may be a measured data point. In some other embodiments, the extremum point with a maximum or minimum value may be calculated and determined, for example, by curve fitting or interpolation of an array of pollutant data to be between the measured data points, wherein the point may be between two measured data points.

[0052] Throughout this specification, the term "maximum or minimum" may refer to an extreme point. The term "maximum" may include a maximum value, such as a maximum value, an infimum, an upper limit, or a sample maximum. Thus, the term "minimum" may refer to a minimum value, such as a minimum value, an infimum, an lower limit, or a sample minimum.

[0053] Throughout this specification, the term "sensor" includes hardware sensors, software sensors, and combinations of hardware sensors and software sensors.

[0054] Throughout this specification, the term "processor" refers to a circuit, including an analog circuit or component, a digital circuit or component, a hybrid circuit or component. Any other type of implementation of the corresponding functions described in more detail below may also be understood as a "circuit" according to an alternative embodiment. A digital circuit may be understood as any type of logical implementation entity, which may be a dedicated circuit system or a processor or firmware that executes software stored in a memory. A processor may also include a single stand-alone computer, a single dedicated server, multiple dedicated servers, and / or a virtual server running on a larger server network and / or a cloud-based service.

[0055] Figure 1 An exemplary schematic illustration of an HVAC system 100 is shown including a processor 110 for determining a characteristic air quality restoration score for a pollutant 104 in an enclosed volume 102 . Figure 2 An exemplary graph of pollutant data 200 is shown that includes a plurality of data points indicating concentrations of the pollutant 104 at different times.

[0056] In some embodiments, the enclosed volume may be an enclosed space of an area, such as a building or a room. It is contemplated that the enclosed volume may be a cabin of a vehicle.

[0057] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2, the HVAC system 100 includes a processor 110, which is configured to obtain 112 pollutant data 200 including a plurality of data points indicating the concentration of the pollutant 104 at different times. The pollutant data 200 can be measured by a sensor 130 adapted to measure the pollutant concentration of the pollutant 104 in the enclosed volume 102. In some embodiments, the pollutant 104 can be carbon dioxide, and thus, the sensor 130 can be a carbon dioxide sensor. The processor 110 can be in data communication with the sensor 130, and thus, the pollutant data 200 can be obtained via a predefined wireless communication protocol. Examples of predefined wireless communication protocols include: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wi-MAX), Wi-Fi Direct (WFD), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Infrared Data Protocol (IrDA), Bluetooth, ZigBee, SigFox, LPWan, LoRaWan, GPRS, 3G, 4G, LTE, and 5G communication systems. Alternatively, the processor 110 may obtain the pollutant data 200 via a wired manner.

[0058] In various embodiments, the pollutant data 200 obtained at different times may refer to pollutant data 200 measured within a predetermined period. The predetermined period may be in the range of 1 hour to 30 days, and in some embodiments, may be 15 days. Alternatively, the pollutant data 200 may be measured continuously by the sensor 130 and may be transmitted to the processor 110 at predetermined intervals or upon request by the processor 110.

[0059] Based on the pollutant data 200, the processor 110 identifies 114 an event 210 that includes a sub-range of data points from the pollutant data 200, the event 210 being determined based on identifying at least one data point that meets a predetermined criterion of a maximum value 212 or a minimum value 214. The event 210 determination may include identifying a plurality of points having a maximum value indicating an increase in pollutant concentration from the current pollutant data 202, or a plurality of points having a minimum value indicating a decrease in pollutant concentration from the maximum value or the current pollutant data 202.

[0060] In various embodiments, the current pollutant data 202 may include data indicating a constant pollutant concentration within the enclosed volume 102. In some embodiments, the current pollutant data 202 may include a pollutant concentration that is safe for occupants in the enclosed volume 102.

[0061] The processor 110 is further configured to determine 116 whether the event 210 belongs to a decay event type that follows a contaminant decay pattern 220, 230. In various embodiments, the processor 110 may determine the decay event type by determining a first increase 204 in contaminant concentration from the current contaminant data 202. In various embodiments, the decay event type may be determined if the increase in contaminant concentration exceeds a predetermined threshold level (e.g., a threshold representing a contaminant concentration that may be undesirable (e.g., unsafe for occupants in the enclosed volume)). In various embodiments, the decay event type may include at least one point with a maximum value, and at least one point with a minimum value. Thus, the contaminant decay pattern 220, 230 may be a pattern that indicates an increase in contaminant concentration followed by a removal or reduction of the contaminant 104 from the enclosed volume.

[0062] The processor 110 is further configured to determine 118 a contaminant attenuation characteristic based on the attenuation event type. Figure 2 , determining 118 the pollutant attenuation characteristic based on the first pollutant attenuation pattern 220 may include determining a first point 222 having a first maximum value corresponding to the first increase 204 that may be above the predetermined threshold level. Determining 118 the pollutant attenuation characteristic based on the first pollutant attenuation pattern 220 may also include determining a second point 224 having a first minimum value corresponding to the determined first decrease in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant 104 from the first point 222. In various embodiments, the first point 222 may be determined before the second point 224, for example, t 第一点、最大值 <t 第二点、最小值 In other words, the processor 110 determines 118 consecutive maximum points (eg, the first point 222 ) and minimum points (eg, the second point 224 ) that follow the first contaminant attenuation pattern 220 .

[0063] In various embodiments, the first point 222 and the second point 224 having the maximum and minimum values, respectively, may be determined directly from the measured plurality of data points, or may be determined via mathematical optimization (e.g., curve fitting or interpolation) of the plurality of data points to identify extreme points. Figure 2 The determination of a first point 222 having a first local maximum and a second point 224 having a first local minimum is shown, but the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the determination of the first point and the second point may be based on the determination of global maxima and minima based on multiple data points, for example via a calculus of variation of the pollutant data 200 array.

[0064] The processor 110 may be further configured to determine an event air quality recovery score of the pollutant 104 for a first decay event type having the first pollutant decay pattern 220 by calculating a first parameter based on a first point 222 having a first maximum value and a second point 224 having a first minimum value. In various embodiments, the first parameter may be a gradient of the first point 222 and the second point 224; a gradient based on smoothed data of the first point 222 and the second point 224; a gradient of a data-fit curve based on the first point 222 and the second point 224; and / or an exponent of a fitted exponential decay function based on the first point 222 and the second point 224. In other words, the first parameter may be a parameter indicating a decay or removal rate of the pollutant 104 based on the first pollutant decay pattern 220.

[0065] In various embodiments, the processor 110 may be further configured to determine 116 one or more decay event types that follow the contaminant decay patterns 220, 230 from the events 210 that include the sub-range of data points. For example, the processor 110 may further determine a second decay event type that follows the second contaminant decay pattern 230. The second decay event type may be determined based on a second increase in the contaminant concentration of the contaminant 104 from the second point 224. In some embodiments, the second increase may be a contaminant concentration that exceeds a predetermined threshold level.

[0066] In various embodiments, the processor 110 may be further configured to determine 118 a contaminant attenuation characteristic based on a second attenuation event type having a second contaminant attenuation pattern 230. Figure 2 As shown in , the processor 110 may determine a third point 232 having a second maximum value, which may correspond to a second determined increase in the contaminant concentration of the contaminant 104 from the second point 222. Determining 118 the contaminant decay characteristic according to the second decay event type may also include determining a fourth point 234 having a second minimum value corresponding to the second determined decrease in the contaminant concentration of the contaminant 104 from the third point 232. In various embodiments, the third point 232 may be determined before the fourth point 234, for example, 第三点、最大值 <t 第四点、最小值 .

[0067] Thus, the processor 110 may determine 118 consecutive maximum and minimum points for each decay event type having the contaminant decay patterns 220, 230. The maximum or minimum points for each decay event type may be local or global extreme points, and in some embodiments, may be determined as points obtained directly from the measured contaminant data 200. In some other embodiments, the maximum or minimum points are determined via mathematical optimization of the array of contaminant data 200. For example, the third point 232 may not correspond to the next measured maximum point starting from the second point 224, but instead may correspond to another maximum point (e.g., determined via curve fitting or interpolation) between the measured multiple data points. Figure 2 not shown).

[0068] In various embodiments, the processor 110 may be further configured to determine an event air quality recovery score for the pollutant 104 for a second decay event type having the second pollutant decay pattern 230 by calculating a second parameter based on the third point 232 having the second maximum value and the fourth point 234 having the second minimum value. The second parameter may indicate a decay or removal rate of the pollutant 104 based on the second pollutant decay pattern 230. In various embodiments, the second parameter may be based on a gradient of the third point 232 and the fourth point 234, a gradient of smoothed data, a gradient of a data fit curve, and / or an exponent of a fitted exponential decay function.

[0069] In various embodiments, determining an event air quality restoration score for an event 210 that includes a sub-range of data points may include determining each event air quality restoration score for each decay event type that follows the pollutant decay patterns 220, 230. In some embodiments, the event air quality restoration score may include determining an average of a first parameter and a second parameter. It is contemplated that the event air quality restoration score may be based on determining a statistical measure, such as a median, a mode, for each parameter of each decay event type that follows the pollutant decay pattern.

[0070] refer to Figure 1, the processor 110 is further configured to determine 120 a characteristic air quality restoration score of the pollutant 104 based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic. In various embodiments, determining 120 the characteristic air quality restoration score may include: calculating a plurality of event air quality restoration scores, each event air quality restoration score corresponding to each attenuation event type having a pollutant attenuation pattern 220, 230; and determining the characteristic air quality restoration score based on the plurality of event air quality restoration scores. In some embodiments, determining 120 the characteristic air quality restoration score may also include calculating a statistical measure of the plurality of event air quality restoration scores. For example, the characteristic air quality restoration score may be an average or median of the plurality of event air quality restoration scores. It is contemplated that the characteristic air quality restoration score may be based on other statistical measures of the plurality of event air quality restoration scores, such as mode, percentile, variance.

[0071] Thus, the characteristic air quality recovery score of the pollutant 104 can represent the overall decay rate of the pollutant 104 from the enclosed volume 102 and can be based on each decay event type with the pollutant decay pattern 220, 230. In some embodiments, a high score can indicate that the air exchange rate in the enclosed volume 102 is sufficient to effectively disperse the pollutant 104 from the enclosed volume 102; while a low score can indicate that the air exchange rate in the enclosed volume 102 may not be sufficient to disperse the pollutant 104, thereby indicating that one or more operating parameters of the HVAC system 100 may need to be adjusted.

[0072] refer to Figure 1 The characteristic air quality restoration score may be displayed on a display of the processor 110, or may be displayed on another processor 140. In various embodiments, the characteristic air quality restoration score may be presented as a graphical symbol indicating the decay rate of the pollutant 104 from the enclosed volume 10.

[0073] Figure 3 An exemplary schematic diagram of an HVAC system 300 is shown, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, which includes a processor 110 for determining a characteristic air quality restoration score of a pollutant 103 in an enclosed volume 102. The HVAC system 300 may be based on a reference Figure 1 The HVAC system 100 is described herein, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted for the sake of brevity.

[0074] The HVAC system 300 may also include at least one sensor 310 for detecting occupancy of the enclosed volume 102. The at least one sensor 310 may be an occupancy and / or vacancy sensor configured to detect the presence of an occupant in the enclosed volume 102 and to recognize when a person enters or leaves the enclosed volume 102. The processor 110 may be in data communication with the at least one sensor 310 and may be configured to obtain 312 the occupancy of the enclosed volume 102, such as the number of occupants.

[0075] The processor 110 may be further configured to compare the characteristic air quality restoration score to a predetermined threshold air quality restoration score 314. In various embodiments, the predetermined threshold air quality restoration score may be a score representing a desired decay rate of the pollutant 104, which may be a rate optimized for safe occupancy of the enclosed volume 102 based on the occupancy of the enclosed volume 102. For example, if the enclosed volume 102 has a greater occupancy, the predetermined threshold air quality restoration score may be higher (e.g., faster decay of the pollutant 104) to prevent the pollutant concentration from reaching an undesirable level, e.g., an unsafe level.

[0076] like Figure 3 As shown in , HVAC system 300 may further include ventilation equipment 340 configured to adjust the amount of fresh air injected into enclosed volume 102 and / or adjust the amount of pollutants 104 removed from enclosed volume 102. Ventilation equipment 340 may be a blower and / or an air filtration device.

[0077] Based on the comparison 314 of the characteristic air quality restoration score with the predetermined threshold air quality restoration score and / or the occupancy of the enclosed volume 102, the processor 110 may be operable to adjust 316 at least one operating parameter of the ventilation device 340. In some embodiments, the processor 110 may adjust the air flow rate of the ventilation device 330 to increase the amount of fresh air injected into the enclosed volume 102, and / or increase the rate of removal of pollutants 104 from the enclosed volume 102. The adjustment may be made when the characteristic air quality restoration score is less than the predetermined threshold air quality restoration score, and / or when the occupancy of the enclosed volume 102 exceeds a predetermined threshold occupancy. The predetermined threshold occupancy may indicate the maximum number of occupants in the enclosed volume 102 at which the pollutant concentration can be maintained at a safe level. In some other embodiments, the processor 110 may adjust the air flow rate of the ventilation device 330 to reduce the amount of fresh air injected into the enclosed volume 102, and / or reduce the rate of removal of pollutants 104 from the enclosed volume 102. The adjustment may be made when the characteristic air quality restoration score is greater than a predetermined threshold air quality restoration score and / or the occupancy of the enclosed volume 102 is less than a predetermined threshold occupancy. This may result in energy savings when there are few occupants in the enclosed volume 102.

[0078] refer to Figure 3 The HVAC system 300 may also include a scheduler 320 that stores schedule data indicating scheduled usage of the enclosed volume 102 and may be in data communication with the processor 110 .

[0079] The processor 110 may be further configured to obtain 322 a time of a next scheduled use of the enclosed volume 102 from the scheduler 320 based on the schedule data. The processor 110 may be further configured to: determine 324 a time slot indicating a time difference between a current time and a time of a next scheduled use of the enclosed volume 102; and calculate 326 a duration required for the pollutant concentration to reach a predetermined threshold based on the characteristic air quality restoration score. In various embodiments, the predetermined threshold may be a pollutant concentration optimized for safe occupancy of the enclosed volume 102. In some embodiments, the predetermined threshold may be a predetermined threshold pollutant concentration for determining 116 a type of decay event that follows the pollutant decay pattern 220, 230.

[0080] Based on the calculated 326 duration, processor 110 may be further configured to determine 328 whether the duration is within the time slot. Processor 110 may be configured to adjust 330 at least one operating parameter of HVAC system 300 based on determining 328 that the duration falls within the time slot.

[0081] In various embodiments, adjusting 330 at least one operating parameter may include adjusting an air flow rate of ventilation device 340. For example, if the duration falls within the time slot, ventilation device 340 may be configured to inject fresh air into enclosed volume 102, and / or increase the rate of removal of pollutants 104 from enclosed volume 102, thereby reducing the concentration of pollutants within enclosed volume 102 before the next scheduled use of enclosed volume 102. This may prevent the pollutant concentration of pollutants 104 from reaching undesirable levels, e.g., unsafe levels.

[0082] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a reference comprising the present disclosure. Figures 1 to 3 The enclosed volume of the HVAC equipment 100, 300 is described.

[0083] Figure 4 An exemplary schematic diagram of a control device 400 for an HVAC system according to another aspect of the present disclosure is shown, the control device 400 including a processor 420 configured to determine a characteristic air quality restoration score of a pollutant in an enclosed volume. The control device 400 may be configured for use in reference to the present disclosure. Figures 1 to 3 The HVAC systems 100 , 300 are described herein, and duplicate descriptions are omitted for the sake of brevity.

[0084] refer to Figure 4 , the control device 400 includes a processor 420, which is in data communication with a memory 410 in which instructions are stored. When executed by the processor 420, these instructions cause the processor 420 to obtain pollutant data including multiple data points, which indicate the pollutant concentration of the pollutant at different times (step 422). The processor 420 also identifies an event including a sub-range of data points among the multiple data points, which includes at least one data point that meets a predetermined criterion of a maximum value or a minimum value (step 424); and determines that the event belongs to an attenuation event type that follows a pollutant attenuation pattern (step 426). The processor 420 also determines the pollutant attenuation characteristics based on the event (step 428); and determines the characteristic air quality recovery score of the pollutant based on the pollutant attenuation characteristics (step 430).

[0085] In various embodiments, processor 420 may be configured to Figures 1 to 3 The processor 110 of the HVAC system 100 , 300 described above performs steps 422 to 430 .

[0086] Figure 5 An exemplary flow chart of a method 500 for determining a characteristic air quality restoration score of a pollutant in an enclosed volume according to another aspect of the present disclosure is shown. The method 500 may be configured to operate with reference to Figures 1 to 3 The HVAC systems 100 , 300 are described herein, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted for the sake of brevity.

[0087] refer to Figure 5 , method 500 includes providing a processor for performing the following steps: obtaining pollutant data including a plurality of data points indicating the pollutant concentration of the pollutant at different times (step 502). Method 500 also includes identifying an event including a sub-range of data points among the plurality of data points, the event including at least one data point that meets a predetermined criterion of a maximum value or a minimum value (step 504), and determining that the event belongs to an attenuation event type that follows a pollutant attenuation pattern (step 506). Method 500 also includes determining a pollutant attenuation characteristic based on the event (step 508); and determining a characteristic air quality restoration score of the pollutant based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic (step 510).

[0088] In various embodiments of method 500 , determining that the event belongs to the decay event type that follows the pollutant decay pattern may include determining a first increase in pollutant concentration of the pollutant from current pollutant data.

[0089] In various embodiments of method 500, determining the characteristic air quality restoration score based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic may include calculating a plurality of event air quality restoration scores, and determining the characteristic air quality restoration score based on the plurality of event air quality restoration scores. In some embodiments of method 500, determining the characteristic air quality restoration score may include calculating a statistical measure of the plurality of event air quality restoration scores.

[0090] In various embodiments, determining the pollutant attenuation characteristic based on the event may include determining a first point having a first maximum value, the first point corresponding to a determined first increase in pollutant concentration of the pollutant from current pollutant data. Determining the pollutant attenuation characteristic based on the event may also include determining a second point having a first minimum value, the second point corresponding to a determined first decrease in pollutant concentration of the pollutant from the first point. In various embodiments, determining the event air quality restoration score for the pollutant based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic may also include calculating a first parameter based on the first point having a first maximum value and the second point having a first minimum value.

[0091] In various embodiments of method 500, determining the pollutant attenuation characteristic based on the event may further include determining a third point having a second maximum value, the third point corresponding to a second determined increase in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from the second point. Determining the pollutant attenuation characteristic based on the event may further include determining a fourth point having a second minimum value, the fourth point corresponding to a second determined decrease in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from the third point. In various embodiments of method 500, determining the event air quality restoration score of the pollutant based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic may further include calculating a second parameter based on the third point having a second maximum value and the fourth point having a second minimum value, and calculating an average of the first parameter and the second parameter.

[0092] Figure 6 An exemplary flow chart of a method 600 for determining a characteristic air quality restoration score of a pollutant in an enclosed volume according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The method 600 may be described in reference to Figures 1 to 3 The method 600 may be executed on the processor 110 of the HVAC system 100, 300 discussed above. Figure 5 The method 500 is discussed herein, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0093] refer to Figure 6 , method 600 may further include obtaining an occupancy of the enclosed volume from at least one sensor configured to detect the occupancy of the enclosed volume (step 602). Method 600 may further include comparing, by a processor, the characteristic air quality restoration score to a predetermined threshold air quality restoration score (step 604). In various embodiments, method 600 may further include adjusting, by a processor, at least one operating parameter of the HVAC system based on the comparison of the characteristic air quality restoration score to the predetermined threshold air quality restoration score and / or the detected occupancy of the enclosed volume (step 606).

[0094] In various embodiments of method 600, adjusting at least one operating parameter of system 100, 300 may include adjusting an air flow rate of a ventilation device configured to inject fresh air into the enclosed volume and / or increase the rate of removal of the pollutant from the enclosed volume. The ventilation device may refer to Figure 3 The HVAC system 300 is discussed with reference to the ventilation device 340 .

[0095] Figure 7 An exemplary flow chart of a method 700 for determining a characteristic air quality restoration score of a pollutant in a closed volume according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The method 700 may be based on a reference Figure 5 The method 500 is discussed herein, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0096] refer to Figure 7 , method 700 may include obtaining a time of scheduled use of the enclosed volume from a scheduler based on the schedule data, the scheduler being configured to store schedule data indicating the scheduled use of the enclosed volume (step 702). Method 700 may also include determining, by a processor, a time slot indicating a time difference between a current time and the time of scheduled use of the enclosed volume (step 704), and calculating, by the processor, a duration required for the pollutant concentration to reach a predetermined baseline value based on the characteristic air quality restoration score (step 706). Method 700 may also include determining, by the processor, whether the duration is within the time slot (step 708), and adjusting, by the processor, at least one operating parameter of the HVAC system within the time slot based on determining that the duration is within the time slot (step 710).

[0097] In various embodiments of method 700, adjusting at least one operating parameter of system 100, 300 may include adjusting an air flow rate of a ventilation device configured to inject fresh air into the enclosed volume and / or increase the rate of removal of the contaminant from the enclosed volume. Thus, accumulation of contaminants in the enclosed volume may be prevented prior to the next scheduled use, and the contaminant concentration of the contaminants in the enclosed volume may not reach an undesirable level, e.g., a level that is unsafe for occupants of the enclosed volume.

[0098] Various embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a computer program product comprising software instructions that, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to execute a program referring to Figures 5 to 7 Steps 502 to 710 of methods 500, 600, 700 are described.

[0099] Thus, the present disclosure provides an improved HVAC system for determining in real time or near real time an air quality related characteristic of an enclosed volume by providing information to a user indicating the effect of an air exchange rate on the pollutant concentration of the pollutants in the enclosed volume. In particular, the improved system is configured to provide to the user a characteristic air quality recovery score of the pollutants in the enclosed volume, which indicates the decay rate of the pollutants from the enclosed volume. The improved system also provides for adjustment of at least one operating parameter of the system to prevent the pollutant concentration from reaching an undesirable level, e.g., an unsafe level.

[0100] Although the present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system for determining a characteristic air quality restoration score of a pollutant in an enclosed volume, comprising a processor configured to: obtaining pollutant data including a plurality of data points indicating the pollutant concentration of the pollutant at different times; identifying an event that includes a sub-range of data points from the plurality of data points, the event including at least one data point that meets a predetermined criterion of a maximum value or a minimum value; determining that the event belongs to a type of decay event that follows a contaminant decay pattern; determining contaminant attenuation characteristics based on said event; as well as The characteristic air quality restoration score for the pollutant is determined based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic. 2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein determining that the event belongs to the decay event type that follows the pollutant decay pattern comprises determining a first increase in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from current pollutant data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein determining the characteristic air quality restoration score based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic comprises: Calculate air quality recovery scores for multiple events; as well as The characteristic air quality restoration score is determined based on the plurality of event air quality restoration scores. 4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein determining the characteristic air quality restoration score comprises calculating a statistical measure of the plurality of event air quality restoration scores.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein determining the contaminant attenuation characteristic based on the event comprises: determining a first point having a first maximum value, the first point corresponding to a determined first increase in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from the current pollutant data; as well as A second point having a first minimum value is determined, the second point corresponding to a determined first decrease in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from the first point. 6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein determining the event air quality restoration score for the pollutant based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic comprises calculating a first parameter based on the first point having the first maximum value and the second point having the first minimum value.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein determining the contaminant attenuation characteristic based on the event further comprises: determining a third point having a second maximum value, the third point corresponding to the determined second increase in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from the second point; as well as A fourth point having a second minimum value is determined, the fourth point corresponding to the determined second decrease in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from the third point.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein determining the event air quality restoration score for the pollutant based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic further comprises: calculating a second parameter based on the third point having the second maximum value and the fourth point having the second minimum value; as well as An average value of the first parameter and the second parameter is calculated.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor for detecting occupancy of the enclosed volume, wherein the processor is in data communication with the at least one sensor and is further configured to: obtaining the occupancy of the enclosed volume from the at least one sensor; comparing the characteristic air quality restoration score to a predetermined threshold air quality restoration score; and At least one operating parameter of the system is adjusted based on the comparison of the characteristic air quality restoration score to the predetermined threshold air quality restoration score and / or the occupancy of the enclosed volume.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a scheduler for storing scheduling data indicating scheduled use of the enclosed volume, The processor is in data communication with the scheduler and is further configured to: obtaining the scheduled usage time of the enclosed volume from the scheduler based on the schedule data; determining a time slot indicating a time difference between a current time and the time of the scheduled use of the enclosed volume; calculating a duration required for the pollutant concentration to reach a predetermined threshold based on the characteristic air quality recovery score; determining whether the duration is within the time slot; as well as The at least one operating parameter of the system is adjusted within the time slot based on determining the duration.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein adjusting the at least one operating parameter of the system comprises adjusting an air flow rate of a ventilation device configured to inject fresh air into the enclosed volume and / or increase a removal rate of the contaminants from the enclosed volume.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the pollutant is carbon dioxide.

13. A control device for an HVAC system, the control device comprising a processor configured to determine a characteristic air quality restoration score for a contaminant in an enclosed volume, the processor being in data communication with a memory having instructions stored therein, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: obtaining pollutant data including a plurality of data points indicating the pollutant concentration of the pollutant at different times; identifying an event that includes a sub-range of data points among the plurality of data points, the event including at least one data point that meets a predetermined criterion of a maximum value or a minimum value; determining that the event belongs to a type of decay event that follows a contaminant decay pattern; determining contaminant attenuation characteristics based on said event; as well as The characteristic air quality restoration score for the pollutant is determined based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic.

14. A method for determining a characteristic air quality restoration score for a pollutant in an enclosed volume, comprising providing a processor for: obtaining pollutant data including a plurality of data points indicating the pollutant concentration of the pollutant at different times; identifying an event that includes a sub-range of data points among the plurality of data points, the event including at least one data point that meets a predetermined criterion of a maximum value or a minimum value; determining that the event belongs to a type of decay event that follows a contaminant decay pattern; determining contaminant attenuation characteristics based on said event; as well as The characteristic air quality restoration score for the pollutant is determined based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining that the event belongs to the decay event type that follows the pollutant decay pattern comprises determining a first increase in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from current pollutant data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the characteristic air quality restoration score based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic comprises: Calculate air quality recovery scores for multiple events; as well as The characteristic air quality restoration score is determined based on the plurality of event air quality restoration scores.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the contaminant attenuation characteristic based on the event comprises: determining a first point having a first maximum value, the first point corresponding to a determined first increase in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from the current pollutant data; as well as A second point having a first minimum value is determined, the second point corresponding to a determined first decrease in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from the first point. 18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein determining the event air quality restoration score for the pollutant based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic comprises calculating a first parameter based on the first point having the first maximum value and the second point having the first minimum value.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the contaminant attenuation characteristic based on the event further comprises: determining a third point having a second maximum value, the third point corresponding to the determined second increase in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from the second point; as well as A fourth point having a second minimum value is determined, the fourth point corresponding to the determined second decrease in the pollutant concentration of the pollutant from the third point.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining the event air quality restoration score for the pollutant based on the pollutant attenuation characteristic further comprises: calculating a second parameter based on the third point having the second maximum value and the fourth point having the second minimum value; as well as An average value of the first parameter and the second parameter is calculated.

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