Portable Sensor Digital Twin for Building Microenvironment Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current building management systems (BMS) struggle to accurately infer correlations between environmental conditions such as temperature and lighting across large office spaces due to limited sensor placement, often resulting in inadequate control of microenvironments created by non-homogeneous layouts and proximity to windows or HVAC diffusers.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a portable sensor array to collect comprehensive environmental data and user feedback, generating a digital twin of the building to accurately represent microenvironments and predict environmental effects of building equipment additions, thereby improving comfort and productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sensors are placed only on walls or ceilings, then installation is simple, but measurement precision of microenvironment conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the building into multiple microenvironments and places sensors at various heights and locations within each microenvironment. Instead of uniform ceiling placement, sensors are distributed throughout the space to capture localized conditions, allowing precise measurement of temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors in distinct zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by positioning sensors specifically within microenvironments where precise measurement is needed, such as near HVAC diffusers, windows, or occupied zones. Each sensor location is optimized to capture the unique characteristics of its local environment rather than providing a single averaged reading for the entire space.
2Device complexity
If environmental conditions are controlled uniformly across large spaces, then control system complexity is reduced, but adaptability to microenvironments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into multiple independent zones corresponding to different microenvironments. Each zone can be controlled independently based on its specific conditions and occupancy patterns, allowing the system to adapt to local requirements while maintaining overall system manageability through modular control architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system dynamically adjusts environmental parameters for different microenvironments based on real-time sensor data, occupancy detection, and predefined comfort criteria. The system can automatically create, modify, or dissolve microenvironment zones as conditions change, providing adaptability without requiring complex manual configuration.
3Ease of operation
If sensors are located above suspended ceilings or within HVAC equipment, then installation is convenient, but measurement precision of space conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the sensing function from the HVAC infrastructure by deploying independent sensors within the occupied space rather than relying on HVAC-embedded sensors. This segmentation allows the sensing system to be optimized for measurement accuracy while the HVAC system remains optimized for environmental control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces portable devices with environmental sensors as intermediaries between the HVAC system and the occupied space. These devices are positioned in locations that provide accurate measurement of space conditions while maintaining wireless communication with the building management system, bridging the gap between convenient installation points and optimal measurement locations.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for updating a digital twin of a building, comprising receiving measurements from a plurality of sensors of a portable device at a location within the building, the measurements comprising values of a plurality of environmental conditions at the location of the portable device within the building at a first time; generating a point in the digital twin of the building, the point having virtual coordinates that correspond to the location of the portable device within the building; and training one or more models configured to generate the digital twin of the building based on the received measurements and the point in the digital twin of the building.