Integrated HVAC Air Purification With Pollutant-Responsive Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for regulating temperature and purifying ambient air in buildings fail to effectively address pollutant removal, as they either prioritize temperature control over air quality or vice versa, often discharging pollutants outside or using methods that are not responsive to pollutant concentrations.
Innovation Solution
A combined system that integrates a thermal regulation module with an air purification module, using sensors to detect pollutant concentrations and adjust both the air circulation and purification processes accordingly, employing particle filters, cold plasma, and photocatalysis to treat chemical and biological pollutants, allowing for targeted and effective air purification without external air exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If ventilation is used to treat pollution by renewing air, then the concentration of pollutants decreases, but the pollutants are not eliminated and are simply rejected outside
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates pollutants from indoor air using filtration systems (particulate filters for particulate pollutants, activated carbon filters for chemical pollutants) and purification systems (UV-C irradiation for biological pollutants), rather than simply venting them outside. This removes the harmful substances from the air circulation system entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The system recycles treated air back into the indoor environment, converting what would be waste (purified air) into a beneficial resource. By eliminating pollutants and recirculating cleaned air, the system reduces the need for continuous fresh air intake while maintaining air quality.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If air treatment units are equipped with particle filters to eliminate pollutants, then particulate pollutants are retained, but the operation of filters is independent of the level of pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors (particulate matter sensors, chemical sensors, biological sensors) that continuously monitor air quality and provide feedback to the control unit. The control unit adjusts the operation of filtration and purification systems based on real-time pollutant concentration levels, enabling adaptive response to changing air quality conditions.
3Reliability
If ventilation and temperature regulation are performed by separate systems, then each system can be optimized independently, but the treatment of pollution is independent of temperature control
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges air purification functions (particulate filtration, chemical filtration, biological purification) with temperature regulation functions into a single integrated HVAC system. The control unit coordinates both purification and temperature control operations, allowing the system to respond simultaneously to air quality and thermal comfort requirements.
4Quantity of substance
If indoor air is renewed with outdoor air to remove pollutants, then pollutant concentration decreases, but the pollutants are actually released outside and energy is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The system recovers and recycles purified air back into the indoor environment instead of discarding it through ventilation. By eliminating pollutants through filtration and purification and then recirculating the cleaned air, the system maintains indoor air quality while minimizing energy loss associated with continuous air exchange.
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
This integrated system ensures both thermal comfort and effective pollutant removal, adapting to changing pollutant concentrations and thermal needs, thereby improving indoor air quality without releasing pollutants outside.
Implementation Method 1
the treatment of the pollution by filtration or purification
Implementation Method 2
systems using cold plasma, the combination of absorption on activated carbon and photocatalysis
Implementation Method 3
absorption on activated carbon
Implementation Method 4
photocatalysis
Data Source
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AI summary
This system for regulating the temperature and purifying the ambient air in a building (B) comprises at least one thermal emitter (10) comprising means (112) for setting the ambient air in motion and means for heat exchange (12) between the ambient air and a heat transfer fluid circuit (13), a valve (60) for adjusting the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid (13), means (40) for measuring the temperature of the air environment, a device (20) for purifying the ambient air including at least one purification module capable of treating particulate, chemical or biological pollutants, means (30) for detecting the concentration of at least one pollutant in the air, a control unit (50) able to control the activation of the means for moving the ambient air (112), the valve (60) and the purification device (20) depending the temperature of the ambient air and the concentration of pollutant in the ambient air. The invention also relates to a method for controlling such a system, comprising steps in which the control unit regulates the opening of the valve (60) according to the result of the comparison between the ambient temperature and a temperature of setpoint, and the control unit controls the activation of the purification device and the intensity of the means for moving the ambient air (112) according to the result of the comparison between the concentration of pollutant in the ambient air and a limit concentration.