Humidity monitoring and alarm system for unattended detection of building moisture management problems

• US 8,172,154 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2007
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chase R. Figley, Curtis M. Figley, Donald A. Figley, Sarah A. Figley
• Original Assignee: Chase R. Figley, Curtis M. Figley, Donald A. Figley, Sarah A. Figley
• Inventors: Figley, Curtis M., Figley, Donald A., Figley, Chase R., Figley, Sarah A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Chen Wen
• Application Number:
  US11/892,587
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 621/761, 621/766, 165/222, 165/223, 165/224, 236/44.A, 236/44.C, 236/46.C, 236/94
• US Class Current: 236/44.A
• 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 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity

Abstract

A detection and monitoring method and system which makes it possible to detect the presence of moisture problems when they manifest as abnormal humidity in one or more discrete ventilation zones within a building envelope. The abnormal humidity can then be investigated and resolved or mitigated to minimize the potential for building damage or adverse occupant health effects occur. The present invention provides an early warning system that will alert personnel of the occurrence of a moisture problem.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring the moisture content of air located in a structure comprising:

A) measuring the moisture content in a sample of air at a reference location and using the moisture content in the sample of air from the reference location as a normal value, the reference location being in a position whereat air flowing into the structure is representative of the total air flowing into the structure;

B) measuring the moisture content in air located at a selected location within a structure and using the moisture content in the air from the selected location as a sensed value;

C) smoothing the temporal characteristics of the measured values over at least one time frame to reduce the effects of measurement noise and short term moisture transients;

D) relating the smoothed sensed value of moisture content from the selected location to the smoothed normal moisture content from the reference location and defining a differential moisture content; and

E) generating an alarm if the differential moisture content exceeds a preset value.

2. A method of monitoring the moisture content of air located in a structure comprising:

A) measuring the moisture content in a sample of air at a reference location and using the moisture content in the sample of air from the reference location as a normal value;

B) measuring the moisture content in air located at a selected location within a structure and using the moisture content in the air from the selected location as a sensed value;

C) smoothing the temporal characteristics of the measured values over at least one time frame to reduce the effects of measurement noise and short term moisture transients;

D) relating the smoothed sensed value of moisture content from the selected location to the smoothed normal moisture content from the reference location and defining a differential moisture content, including using information regarding the rate of flow of air entering the building; and

E) generating an alarm if the differential moisture content exceeds a preset value.

3. A method of monitoring the moisture content of air located in a structure comprising:

A) measuring the moisture content in a sample of air at a reference location and using the moisture content in the sample of air from the reference location as a normal value;

B) measuring the moisture content in air located at a selected location within a structure and generating a series of graduated pairs of preset values and preset periods;

C) smoothing the temporal characteristics of the measured values over at least one time frame to reduce the effects of measurement noise and short term moisture transients, and using the moisture content in the air from the selected location as a sensed value;

D) relating the smoothed sensed value of moisture content from the selected location to the smoothed normal moisture content from the reference location and defining a differential moisture content;

E) generating an alarm if the differential moisture content exceeds a preset value; and

F) measuring the moisture content of the air at the selected location in a series of graduated pairs of preset values and preset periods and using the graduated pairs of preset values and preset periods to evaluate the presence of an alarm condition based on the amplitude of the measured value exceeding a preset value for more than a preset interval.

4. A method of monitoring the moisture content of air located in a structure comprising:

A) measuring the time rate of change in moisture content in a sample of air at a reference location and using the time rate of change of moisture content in the sample of air from the reference location as a normal value;

B) measuring the time rate of change in moisture content in air located at a selected location within a structure and using the time rate of change in moisture content in the air from the selected location as a sensed value;

C) smoothing the temporal characteristics of the time rates of change of the measured values over at least one time frame to reduce the effects of measurement noise and short term moisture transients, the smoothing comprising steps of using long term measurements with short term measurements, with short term measurements being less than one hour in duration and long term measurements being at least twice as long in duration as the duration of the short term measurements and as much as ten times as long as the duration of the short term measurements;

D) relating the smoothed sensed value of time rate of change of moisture content from the selected location to the smoothed normal time rate of change of moisture content from the reference location and defining a differential time rate of change of moisture content; and

E) generating an alarm if the differential time rate of change of moisture content exceeds a preset value.

5. A method of monitoring the moisture content of air located in a structure comprising:

A) measuring the moisture content in a sample of air at a reference location and using the moisture content in the sample of air from the reference location as a normal value;

B) measuring the moisture content in air located at a selected location within a structure and using the moisture content in the air from the selected location as a sensed value;

C) smoothing the temporal characteristics of the measured values over at least one time frame to reduce the effects of measurement noise and short term moisture transients;

D) relating the smoothed sensed value of moisture content from the selected location to the smoothed normal moisture content from the reference location and defining a differential moisture content;

E) defining a series of parameter pairs, wherein each pair specifies the value of a differential moisture content alarm threshold and a corresponding preset time period during which excursions of the differential moisture content above the corresponding alarm threshold can be tolerated; and

F) defining an alarm condition as being when an excursion of the differential moisture content above a particular differential moisture content alarm threshold has persisted longer than can be tolerated according to the associated alarm preset time period that is paired with the differential moisture content alarm threshold.

6. A method of monitoring the moisture content of air located in a structure comprising:

A) measuring the time rate of change in moisture content in a sample of air at a reference location and using the time rate of change of moisture content in the sample of air from the reference location as a normal value;

B) measuring the time rate of change in moisture content in air located at a selected location within a structure and using the time rate of change in moisture content in the air from the selected location as a sensed value;

C) smoothing the temporal characteristics of the time rates of change of the measured values over at least one time frame to reduce the effects of measurement noise and short term moisture transients, the smoothing comprising steps of using long term measurements and ignoring short term measurements, with short term measurements being more than one hour in duration and long term measurements being at least twice as long in duration as the duration of the short term measurements;

D) relating the smoothed sensed value of time rate of change of moisture content from the selected location to the smoothed normal time rate of change of moisture content from the reference location and defining a differential time rate of change of moisture content; and

E) generating an alarm if the differential time rate of change of moisture content exceeds a preset value.

7. A method of monitoring the moisture content of air located in a structure comprising:

A) measuring the time rate of change in moisture content in a sample of air at a reference location and using the time rate of change of moisture content in the sample of air from the reference location as a normal value;

B) measuring the time rate of change in moisture content in air located at a selected location within a structure and using the time rate of change in moisture content in the air from the selected location as a sensed value;

C) smoothing the temporal characteristics of the time rates of change of the measured values over at least one time frame to reduce the effects of measurement noise and short term moisture transients, the smoothing comprising steps of using long term measurements and ignoring short term measurements, with short term measurements being approximately one hour in duration and long term measurements being at least twice as long in duration as the duration of the short term measurements;

D) relating the smoothed sensed value of time rate of change of moisture content from the selected location to the smoothed normal time rate of change of moisture content from the reference location and defining a differential time rate of change of moisture content; and

E) generating an alarm if the differential time rate of change of moisture content exceeds a preset value.