Building Ventilation Control Using Local Air Pollution Fluctuations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems fail to accurately predict and manage indoor air pollution fluctuations in urban areas due to their non-cyclic and unpredictable nature, leading to high costs and impracticality in deploying professional monitoring stations for each building, and existing technologies are not sensitive enough to detect local irregularities in air pollution levels effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a centralized computing center to analyze data from multiple air pollution monitoring stations, estimating air pollution tendencies across an urban area, and optimizing airflow ventilation in buildings by determining optimal ventilation times based on relative air pollution levels, which includes calculating the influence of monitoring stations and using algorithms to predict low pollution periods, even without stations in specific locations, and integrating CO2 sensors for activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If professional monitoring stations are deployed for each building to accurately predict and manage indoor air pollution fluctuations, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the monitoring system through centralized data processing. Instead of deploying physical monitoring stations at every building, the system uses a centralized computing center that processes data from fewer physical stations and generates virtual monitoring coverage across multiple locations through algorithms that estimate air pollution levels based on spatial and temporal patterns
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized computing center acts as an intermediary between the limited physical monitoring stations and the numerous buildings that need air quality information. It collects data from stations, processes it through algorithms considering intervening factors (wind direction, temperature, topography), and distributes processed information to buildings, thereby amplifying the reach of limited monitoring infrastructure
2Measurement precision
If monitoring stations are deployed in every location to detect local irregularities in air pollution levels, then measurement precision is improved, but the quantity of monitoring equipment and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the urban area into multiple zones and strategically places monitoring stations in representative locations within each zone. The centralized computing center then processes data from these segmented locations and estimates air pollution levels for intermediate areas, reducing the total number of stations needed while maintaining comprehensive coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses partial monitoring coverage combined with algorithmic estimation to achieve complete monitoring effectiveness. By monitoring key locations and using intervening factors (wind direction, temperature gradients, topography) to model air pollution distribution, the system achieves accurate local detection without deploying stations at every possible location
3Reliability
If air ventilation is continuously optimized based on real-time air pollution data, then indoor air quality is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic ventilation control based on detected air pollution fluctuations rather than continuous operation. The centralized computing center analyzes real-time data, identifies optimal ventilation moments when outdoor air quality is acceptable, and triggers ventilation only during these periods, thereby maintaining indoor air quality while minimizing energy consumption compared to continuous ventilation
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where air pollution data is continuously collected, analyzed, and used to adjust ventilation control commands. The centralized computing center monitors outdoor air quality levels and provides real-time feedback to building ventilation systems, enabling dynamic adjustment of ventilation operations to match actual air quality conditions and optimize energy usage
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are means for monitoring the levels of air pollution in urban areas for the purpose of optimizing the conditions of airflow ventilation of buildings according to air pollution levels in their area. The invention supplies data in real time regarding local air pollution levels or relative levels, i.e. current air pollution levels in relation to previous ones. The disclosed system and method makes use of the fluctuations in air pollution levels in order to achieve optimal reduction of air pollution levels inside buildings. The system defines optimal times for ventilation in order to achieve a significant and persisting improvement of indoor air quality, in a routine manner, by using measurements of nondeterministic, continuous and effective fluctuations in air pollution levels at the surroundings of each building, specifically in locations which don't include monitoring stations.