Ventilation Control Based on Occupancy

• US 20080076346A1
• Filed: 06/04/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Osman
• Granted Patent: US 7,758,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 454/256
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/50 Air quality properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/70 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

An arrangement for use in an occupancy-based ventilation system includes a plurality of CO2 sensors and a processing circuit. The plurality of CO2 sensors are disbursed throughout a plurality of spaces in a building. The processing circuit is operably coupled to receive information representative of CO2 measurements generated by the plurality of CO2 sensors. The processing circuit is operable to determine a value corresponding to occupancy, based on information from the CO2 sensors, and to control the flow of fresh supply air into the building ventilation system based on the determined value.

Claims

1. An arrangement for use in an occupancy-based ventilation system, comprising:

a plurality of CO2 sensors distributed throughout a plurality of spaces in a building;

a processing circuit operably coupled to receive information representative of CO2 measurements generated by the plurality of CO2 sensors, the processing circuit operable to

determine a value corresponding to occupancy, based on information from the CO2 sensors;

control the flow of fresh supply air into the building ventilation system based on the determined value.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the processing circuit includes at least two spaced apart processors.

3. The arrangement of claim 2, wherein a first processor of the at least two processors is operable to generate an aggregate CO2 value from the plurality of sensors, the aggregate CO2 value corresponding to an occupancy level;

and wherein a second processor of the at least two processors is operable to generate control signals for a ventilation fan device based at least indirectly on the aggregate CO2 value.

4. The arrangement of claim 3, wherein the first processor is further operable to generate a fresh air flow set point based on the aggregate CO2 value and wherein the second processors is further operable to generate the control signals based on the fresh air flow set point.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit comprises a ventilation fan device controller.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of CO2 sensors is incorporated into a wireless sensor module.

7. The arrangement of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of CO2 sensors comprises a MEMS sensor.

8. An arrangement for use in an occupancy-based ventilation system, comprising:

a plurality of wireless sensor modules distributed throughout a plurality of spaces in a building, each of the wireless sensor modules configured to generate a sensor value corresponding to occupancy within at least a portion of the building;

a processing circuit operably coupled to receive information representative of sensor values generated by the plurality of wireless sensor modules, the processing circuit operable to

control the flow of fresh supply air into the building ventilation system based on the determined value.

9. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein each of the wireless sensor modules are further configured to generate the sensor value in the form of a CO2 value.

10. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein each of the wireless sensor modules are further configured to generate the sensor value in the form of a sensed RFID tag count.

11. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein each wireless sensor module includes an RF communication circuit configured to transmit the sensor value to a compatible receiver, the compatible receiver operably coupled to the processing circuit.

12. The arrangement of claim 9, wherein each of the wireless sensor modules includes a MEMS sensor.

13. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein each of the wireless sensor modules includes a MEMS sensor.

14. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein the processing circuit is configured to generate an aggregate value from the sensor values of the plurality of wireless sensor modules, the aggregate value corresponding to an occupancy level, and further configured to generate control signals for a ventilation fan device based at least indirectly on the aggregate value.

15. The arrangement of claim 14, wherein the processing circuit further comprises:

a first processor configured to generate the aggregate value; and

a second processor configured to generate control signals for a ventilation fan device based at least indirectly on the aggregate value, the second processor spaced apart from the first processor.

16. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein the processing circuit is operably coupled to receive information representative of sensor values generated by the plurality of wireless sensor modules, the processing circuit configured to

control the flow of fresh supply air into the building ventilation system based on the determined value.

17. An arrangement for use in an occupancy-based ventilation system, comprising:

a plurality of CO2 sensors distributed throughout a plurality of spaces in a building, each space having a corresponding first damper configured to regulate a flow of fresh air into the space and a second damper configured to regulate a flow of other air into the space, the other air having a temperature that is different than the fresh air;

at least a first processing circuit operably coupled to receive information representative of CO2 measurements generated by at least a first CO2 sensor corresponding to a first space, the first processing circuit operable to

control the flow of fresh air into the first space via the first damper of the first space based on the CO2 measurements generated by the first CO2 sensor.

18. The arrangement of claim 17, wherein the first processing circuit is further configured to control the flow of other air into the first space via the second damper of the first space based on temperature measurements associated with the first space.

19. The arrangement of claim 18, wherein the first processing circuit includes a single processing device.

20. The arrangement of claim 17, further comprising a second processing circuit operably coupled to receive information representative of CO2 measurements generated by a second CO2 sensor corresponding to a second space, the second processing circuit configured to

control the flow of fresh air into the second space via the first damper of the second space based on the CO2 measurements generated by the second CO2 sensor.