Systems and methods for maintaining occupant comfort for various environmental conditions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing building systems require occupants to manually adjust environmental conditions, leading to unintended changes in other conditions and increased costs, necessitating a system that maintains occupant comfort while minimizing expenses.
Innovation Solution
An environmental control system with a controller using a processing circuit to optimize the operation of building devices, such as ventilators, to maintain setpoints for temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels by predicting the effects of control decisions based on asset models and outdoor forecasts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If building equipment is operated to change specific environmental conditions, then the desired environmental condition is improved, but other environmental conditions are adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The HVAC system is designed to simultaneously control multiple environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, air quality) through integrated building equipment that performs multiple functions. The system coordinates heating, cooling, dehumidifying, and ventilating operations to maintain overall occupant comfort rather than optimizing single parameters in isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts equipment operation based on real-time sensor data and predictive models. Control decisions are continuously optimized by predicting future environmental conditions and equipment responses, allowing the system to adapt to changing conditions while maintaining comfort across all environmental parameters.
2Reliability
If building equipment is operated to maintain environmental conditions, then occupant comfort is improved, but expenses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by predicting future environmental conditions and pre-adjusting equipment settings before comfort violations occur. The predictive model forecasts temperature, humidity, and air quality trends, allowing the HVAC system to proactively make control decisions that prevent discomfort while avoiding unnecessary energy consumption during stable conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system optimizes equipment operation by dynamically changing control parameters such as temperature setpoints, humidity setpoints, and equipment runtime based on predicted conditions. This allows the system to maintain comfort only when necessary and adjust parameters to minimize energy consumption during periods when comfort risks are low.
3Ease of operation
If manual adjustments are made by occupants, then individual comfort needs are addressed, but unintended changes in other conditions occur and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides self-service by automatically detecting and responding to occupant comfort needs through integrated sensors that monitor temperature, humidity, and air quality. Rather than requiring manual occupant intervention, the predictive HVAC system autonomously adjusts environmental conditions to maintain comfort, eliminating the unintended consequences of manual adjustments while preserving ease of operation through automatic responsiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
An environmental control system of a building including a first building device operable to affect environmental conditions of a zone of the building by providing a first input to the zone. The system includes a second building device operable to independently affect a subset of the environmental conditions by providing a second input to the zone and further includes a controller including a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to perform an optimization to generate control decisions for the building devices. The optimization is performed subject to constraints for the environmental conditions and uses a predictive model that predicts an effect of the control decisions on the environmental conditions. The processing circuit is configured to operate the building devices in accordance with the control decisions.