Air-Sealed Building Duct Layout for Humidity-Controlled Ventilation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air-sealed buildings face challenges with humidity and contaminant buildup due to minimized air leakage, which can lead to discomfort and mold growth, and opening windows or doors for ventilation is not always feasible due to security concerns.
Innovation Solution
A duct system for HVAC systems that includes a central duct, inlet and outlet ducts with dampers, a variable speed fan, and a movable baffle to control air flow and circulation, along with air filters and heating/cooling units, allowing for internal air exchange and filtration while maintaining the building's air-sealed status.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the building is air-sealed to minimize conditioned air leakage, then energy efficiency is improved, but humidity and contaminant buildup occurs inside the building
Solution Approach 1:
The building air handling system is segmented into multiple functional zones: a first zone with a first air handler for supplying conditioned air, and a second zone with a second air handler for exhaust air. This segmentation allows independent control of supply and exhaust airflow paths, enabling the system to maintain negative pressure and control humidity/contaminant levels while preserving the air-sealed building envelope.
Solution Approach 2:
A make-up air system acts as an intermediary component that introduces filtered outdoor air into the building to replace exhaust air. This intermediary system maintains the air-sealed envelope by providing a controlled air replacement path, preventing uncontrolled infiltration while managing indoor air quality and humidity levels.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If windows or doors are opened to reduce humidity and contaminant buildup, then indoor air quality is improved, but security issues arise and outside contaminants are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The make-up air system serves as an intermediary that provides controlled outdoor air intake through filtered pathways instead of opening windows or doors. This intermediary mechanism maintains security by keeping the building envelope intact while still allowing air exchange to control humidity and contaminants.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical action of opening windows/doors with a controlled HVAC-based air exchange system. Instead of physically opening building envelope components, the system uses ducted make-up air intakes and exhaust systems to achieve the same air exchange function while maintaining security and filtration.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a duct system with movable baffle is used to control air flow, then air circulation and filtration are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A movable baffle is incorporated into the duct system that can dynamically adjust its position to control airflow patterns. The baffle can be positioned to direct airflow between different zones or to facilitate maintenance access, providing adaptive control of air circulation and filtration without requiring complex valve systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable baffle serves multiple functions: it controls primary airflow direction, facilitates maintenance access to system components, and can be configured to support different operational modes (supply, exhaust, make-up air). This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate control mechanisms for each function.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively maintains indoor air quality and reduces humidity and contaminant buildup within the building without compromising the air-sealed environment, ensuring occupant comfort and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a variable speed fan associated with the HVAC system, wherein the fan is configured to circulate and control flow of the air through the duct system
Implementation Method 2
a baffle configured at a predefined location within one or more of the central duct, the inlet duct, and/or the outlet duct, wherein the baffle is configured to move between one or more positions
Implementation Method 3
an inlet duct comprising an inlet damper, fluidically connected between the central duct and an ambient, an outlet duct comprising an outlet damper
Implementation Method 4
enabling inflow of filtered ambient air into the central duct
Data Source
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AI summary
A duct system (100) for an HVAC system of an air-sealed building (102) and a method (800) for conditioning the internal air of the air-sealed building (102) are disclosed. The method (800) comprises the steps of fluidically connecting an inlet duct (108-1) comprising an inlet damper (112-1), between the central duct (106) and an ambient (110), fluidically connecting an outlet duct (108-2) comprising an outlet damper (112-2), between the central duct (106) and the ambient (110), and configuring a baffle (116) at a predefined location within one or more of the central duct (106), the inlet duct (108-1), and/or the outlet duct (108-2), moving the baffle (116) to a first position, and the inlet damper (112-1) and the outlet damper (112-2) to an opened position to enable outflow of internal air from one or more zones (104) and/or the central duct (106) into the ambient (110) via the outlet duct (108-2), and further enable inflow of ambient air into the central duct (106) and/or the one or more zones (104) via the inlet duct (108-1).