Method and system for air quality control of an indoor environment of a building
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for controlling indoor air quality in buildings fail to consider the combined impact of carbon dioxide concentration, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), temperature, and relative humidity, leading to incomplete ventilation management.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that integrate carbon dioxide, VOC, and temperature sensors with a control unit to continuously monitor and analyze these factors, determining optimal ventilation times based on defined thresholds and intervals, and communicate air quality levels to users through visual and acoustic alerts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If only carbon dioxide concentration is monitored to control ventilation, then the control system is simple, but the air quality assessment is incomplete because it ignores VOCs, temperature and humidity impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensors (CO2 sensor, VOC sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor) into an integrated air quality monitoring system. The control unit processes data from all sensors simultaneously to generate a comprehensive air quality assessment, merging previously separate monitoring functions into a unified system that provides complete environmental evaluation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it processes data from different sensor types, determines ventilation needs based on combined parameters, communicates air quality levels to users, and provides ventilation duration recommendations. This multi-functional approach replaces multiple separate systems with a single universal control unit.
2Productivity
If traditional temperature sensors are used only for heating control, then the heating system is simple to control, but the opportunity to optimize natural ventilation timing is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring temperature (along with other parameters) and using this information to determine optimal ventilation timing. The control unit analyzes temperature data in real-time and provides feedback to users about when natural ventilation should be performed, creating a closed-loop system that optimizes ventilation efficiency based on actual environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis of environmental conditions (temperature, CO2, VOCs, humidity) to determine optimal ventilation timing before actual ventilation occurs. By assessing all parameters in advance, the system prepares ventilation recommendations that maximize efficiency while maintaining simplicity in execution.
3Adaptability or versatility
If comprehensive multi-parameter monitoring is implemented, then adaptive ventilation timing is optimized, but the system requires complex calibration for specific environments
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit automatically processes data from all sensors and self-adjusts ventilation recommendations based on real-time environmental conditions. The system serves itself by continuously monitoring, analyzing, and generating appropriate ventilation guidance without requiring manual calibration or complex setup procedures, making deployment simple while maintaining high adaptability.
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 approach allows for adaptive and efficient natural ventilation, improving indoor air quality by providing real-time feedback on the need for ventilation and its duration, ensuring comfort and energy efficiency without requiring specific environmental calibration.
Implementation Method 1
a carbon dioxide sensor configured to detect an instantaneous value of carbon dioxide concentration of air in the indoor environment of the building
Implementation Method 2
a temperature sensor configured to detect an instantaneous value of air temperature in the indoor environment of the building
Implementation Method 3
a volatile organic compound sensor configured to detect an instantaneous value of volatile organic compound concentration in the air of the indoor environment of the building
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A method for controlling air quality in an indoor environment of a building comprises the steps of: - storing control values of carbon dioxide and/or volatile organic compound concentration; - detecting an instantaneous value of carbon dioxide concentration and sending it to a control unit (5); - detecting an instantaneous value of volatile organic compound concentration and sending it to the control unit (5); - processing the control values and the instantaneous values of carbon dioxide and volatile organic compound concentration to generate an output signal representative of the detected air quality; - sending the output signal to a visual and/or acoustic warning unit (7).