System and method for personalized thermal comfort control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current HVAC systems rely on simplistic temperature set-point control, which is inefficient and ineffective in achieving thermal comfort for occupants due to the lack of consideration for individual factors such as metabolic rate, clothing, humidity, and airflow dynamics, leading to suboptimal energy usage and comfort levels.
Innovation Solution
A control system that uses a thermal comfort model, airflow dynamics model, and HVAC model to determine a target thermal state at the occupant's location, allowing for precise control of temperature, airflow, and humidity distribution without relying on a single temperature set-point, thereby optimizing thermal comfort and reducing energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single temperature set-point is used to control HVAC systems, then the system operation is simplified and energy consumption is reduced, but thermal comfort for individual occupants deteriorates due to ignoring personal factors such as metabolic rate, clothing, and activity level
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the thermal comfort control by creating individual thermal comfort models for each occupant based on their personal factors (metabolic rate, clothing insulation, activity level). Each occupant receives personalized temperature set-points rather than a single universal set-point, allowing the system to address individual thermal needs while maintaining overall system manageability through automated model-based control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts temperature set-points based on changing occupant parameters such as metabolic rate, clothing insulation, and activity level. The thermal comfort model continuously updates recommended set-points as these personal parameters change, enabling the HVAC system to adapt to varying thermal needs without requiring manual reconfiguration or complex user input.
2Reliability
If temperature set-points are adjusted to accommodate individual occupant preferences, then thermal comfort is improved, but energy consumption increases due to maintaining different temperature zones and reduced system efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback through thermal comfort models that continuously evaluate occupant thermal state and provide recommendations for temperature set-point adjustments. The system monitors personal factors (metabolic rate, clothing, activity) and uses this feedback to dynamically optimize set-points, ensuring thermal comfort is maintained while minimizing energy consumption by avoiding unnecessary heating or cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic temperature set-point adjustment based on real-time changes in occupant conditions. Rather than maintaining static or uniformly varied temperatures, the system dynamically adapts set-points to match actual thermal needs, allowing for energy-efficient operation during periods when thermal comfort requirements are lower while still providing personalized comfort when needed.
3Reliability
If multiple personal factors such as metabolic rate, clothing insulation, and activity level are considered in thermal comfort control, then personalized thermal comfort is achieved, but system complexity increases due to the need for multiple models and parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the thermal comfort system to self-configure by automatically creating and updating individual thermal comfort models based on measured or sensed occupant parameters. The system autonomously determines personal factors such as metabolic rate, clothing insulation, and activity level without requiring manual input or complex configuration, reducing the burden on users and simplifying system deployment while still achieving personalized comfort.
4Measurement precision
If thermal comfort control is based on occupant feedback and personal factors, then measurement precision of thermal needs is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring personal parameters such as metabolic rate and clothing insulation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses wearable sensors as intermediaries to indirectly measure difficult-to-obtain personal parameters such as metabolic rate and clothing insulation. These sensors capture physiological data (heart rate, skin temperature, galvanic skin response) that serve as proxies for metabolic state, while clothing sensors detect thermal resistance without requiring direct measurement of insulation properties. This intermediary approach enables accurate thermal comfort assessment while avoiding the complexity of direct parameter measurement.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for controlling a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, uses a thermal comfort model (TCM), an airflow dynamics model (ADM) and an HVAC model connecting thermal states at air vents with states of actuators of the HVAC system, for determining a target thermal state at the air vents connecting the HVAC system to an environment, such that the target thermal state at the air vents results in a thermal state at the location of an occupant according to the ADM connecting uneven distribution of thermal states at different locations in the environment. Further, the control system determines and submits control commands to one or multiple actuators of the HVAC system producing the target thermal state at the air vents.