Navier-stokes based indoor climate control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current climate control systems for indoor spaces, such as greenhouses, face challenges in maintaining homogeneous temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels due to spatial and temporal dynamics, leading to inefficiencies and high energy consumption, as they struggle to adapt to changing conditions and require significant human effort and computational resources for optimization.
Innovation Solution
A data processor that uses an augmented state vector to jointly optimize climate control variables and source terms, allowing for real-time adjustment of actuators to minimize energy consumption and achieve globally optimal climate conditions by solving a set of coupled optimization problems, incorporating weighting matrices for tracking and energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If active mixing of air by artificially induced air flows is used to achieve spatially uniformly distributed climate conditions, then temperature and humidity uniformity is improved, but energy consumption increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts fan operation based on real-time climate measurements and predictive weather data. Instead of continuous operation, fans are activated only when and where needed to maintain climate uniformity, reducing energy consumption while preserving the benefit of spatially distributed climate control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements zoned climate control with multiple sensor-loop actuator systems distributed throughout the indoor space. Each zone independently controls its local climate conditions, allowing targeted intervention only in areas where climate deviations occur, rather than uniformly mixing air throughout the entire space.
2Reliability
If multiple sensor-loop actuator systems are distributed in the controlled indoor space to control different conditions, then climate control coverage is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a unified controller that manages multiple sensor-loop actuator systems through a common optimization framework. The controller integrates weather predictions, climate measurements, and actuator control into a single coordinated system, reducing operational complexity while maintaining comprehensive climate control coverage across different zones and conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges multiple independent control loops into a coordinated multi-objective optimization framework. By combining weather prediction data, real-time climate measurements, and actuator control decisions into a unified decision-making process, the system achieves comprehensive climate control with reduced overall complexity compared to fully independent systems.
3Reliability
If continuous fan operation is used to maintain air movement and prevent condensation, then prevention of mold and condensation is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses real-time climate measurements from distributed sensors to continuously monitor conditions that lead to condensation. Fan operation is adjusted based on feedback from humidity and temperature measurements, activating fans only when conditions approach condensation thresholds rather than operating continuously, thus preventing mold and condensation while reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses predictive weather data to anticipate future climate conditions that may lead to condensation. By taking preliminary action based on predicted conditions, the system can proactively adjust fan operation and climate control settings before condensation occurs, preventing the problem rather than merely responding to it.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A data processor (4) is disclosed that can be used in a climate control system (1) for controlling a climate in an indoor space (10) or in a design system (20) for designing such a climate control system. The data processor jointly resolves a set of coupled optimization problems of the following form: Formula (5a) subject to Formula (5b) wherein: Formula (I) is an augmented state-vector comprising a vector Φ specifying the spatial distribution of a climate related variable with respect to a plurality of spatial cells, and a source term qΦ to be resolved, and wherein Formula (II) is the solution found for point in time k+1, Formula (III) being a vector specifying a setpoint specified for said climate related variable at point in time k+1 for at least a part of said plurality of cells, Formula (IV) are boundary conditions relevant for said climate related variable at point in time k, S is a selection matrix, selecting cells for said distribution having a setpoint, O is the zero matrix, I is the identity matrix and Q and R are weighting matrices for tracking and energy consumption, wherein AΦ is a matrix that defines the development of vector Φ as a function of one or more other vectors of climate related variables, wherein BΦ is a matrix that maps the source terms for field Φ to the cell field values affected by those source terms, and wherein the data processor (4) controls the plurality of said actuators in accordance with the source term q Φ.