Occupancy-Based Heating and Air Renewal Control With Presence Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for controlling heating and air renewal in zones are not optimized for energy savings and occupant comfort, as they do not effectively account for the presence or absence of occupants, leading to inefficient changes in state and energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes an air quality sensor and presence estimation device to control heating and air renewal devices based on measured air quality and humidity levels, adjusting operations according to a schedule of presence and absence to minimize unnecessary changes and optimize energy use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the heating device and air renewal device are controlled based on frequent presence/absence detection, then the responsiveness to occupancy changes is improved, but the frequency of device state changes increases leading to energy inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary filtering of presence/absence sequences to eliminate short-duration periods before executing device state changes. This prevents premature or unnecessary device activation/deactivation, reducing the frequency of state changes while maintaining appropriate responsiveness to genuine occupancy patterns.
2Loss of energy
If the system eliminates short periods of absence and presence from the sequence, then the frequency of device state changes is reduced improving energy efficiency, but the responsiveness to actual occupancy may be delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The filtering process is performed in advance as a preliminary step before device control, establishing a cleaned presence/absence sequence that eliminates transient fluctuations. This preliminary action prevents unnecessary state changes while ensuring that genuine occupancy patterns are preserved and responded to appropriately.
Solution Approach 2:
The system cushions against the adverse effects of short-duration presence/absence periods by filtering them out beforehand. This protective measure prevents the device from undergoing unnecessary state changes that would waste energy, while still maintaining appropriate responsiveness to sustained occupancy patterns.
3Device complexity
If the air renewal device operates in fixed mode, then the system complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to humidity changes and energy optimization is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The air renewal device transitions from fixed-mode operation to variable-speed operation, enabling dynamic adjustment of air exchange rates based on real-time humidity measurements. This allows the system to adapt to changing environmental conditions and optimize energy consumption while maintaining indoor air quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring humidity levels and using this information to adjust the air renewal device's operation. The measured humidity serves as feedback that drives adaptive control, enabling the system to respond to environmental changes and optimize performance.
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 results in energy savings and improved comfort by optimizing heating and air renewal based on actual occupancy, reducing the frequency of device changes and aligning operations with setpoint temperatures, thus enhancing energy efficiency and user satisfaction.
Implementation Method 1
the system comprises an air quality sensor configured to measure air quality in the area, and the presence estimation device is configured to estimate whether or not an individual is present in the area based on the measured air quality
Implementation Method 2
a heating device for the zone... the control device is configured to control... the heating device according to the estimation implemented by the presence estimation device
Implementation Method 3
an air renewal device for a zone... the control device is configured to control the air renewal device... as a function of the measured humidity
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
System comprising: an air renewal device (2) of a zone (Z), a heating device (4) of the zone (Z), a presence estimation device (6) configured to estimate whether an individual is present or not in the zone (Z), and a control device (8) configured to control the air renewal device (2) and the heating device (4) according to the estimation implemented by the presence estimation device (6).