Method and system for controlling ventilation in a building

• US 9,464,818 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2013
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Windowmaster A/S
• Original Assignee: Windowmaster A/S
• Inventors: Ostergaard, Lennart, Gronbaek, Henning, Holm, Jes Weinreich, Darum, Jesper, Hansen, Ole Bentsen, Jorgensen, Kaare Slyngbom
• Primary Examiner(s): McAllister, Steven B
• Assistant Examiner(s): COTOV, JONATHAN J
• Application Number:
  US14/372,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20150011154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 454/256, 454/258
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/0001 for ventilation F24F11/30 takes precedence
• 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 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2007/004 Natural ventilation using convection
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2011/0002 for admittance of outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2011/0006 using low temperature external supply air to assist cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/12 of the outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/66 Volatile organic compounds [VOC]
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/68 Radon
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/70 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/007 with forced flow using ducting systems F24F7/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A method and a system for controlling ventilation of an indoor area of a building, comprising the steps of: ventilating the indoor area by means of mechanical ventilation and natural ventilation according to a ventilation mode selected among a plurality of ventilation modes, a set of adjustable control parameters (31; 32; 33; 34; 35) and at least one measurement value from a sensor, wherein each ventilation mode is associated with the set of adjustable control parameters (31; 32; 33; 34; 35), each having an adjustable value selected among a group of mode dependent adjustable values, and/or a set of fixed control parameters (34) each having a mode dependent fixed value, and controlling the mechanical ventilation and the natural ventilation by comparing the measurement value from the sensor with a corresponding value of the control parameters of the ventilation mode such that a desired indoor climate defined by the ventilation mode is obtained.

Claims

1. A method for controlling ventilation of an indoor area of a building, comprising the steps of:

ventilating the indoor area by means of mechanical ventilation and natural ventilation according to a ventilation mode selected among a plurality of ventilation modes, a set of adjustable control parameters, and at least one measurement value from a sensor, wherein;

each ventilation mode is associated with the set of adjustable control parameters, each adjustable control parameter having an adjustable value selected among a group of mode dependent adjustable values,

each ventilation mode is associated with a set of fixed control parameters each having a mode dependent fixed value, wherein at least one of the mode dependent fixed values of at least one of the plurality of ventilation modes is different from at least one of the mode dependent fixed values of another of the plurality of ventilation modes; and

controlling the mechanical ventilation and the natural ventilation by comparing the measurement value from the sensor with a corresponding value of the control parameters of the ventilation mode such that a desired indoor climate defined by the ventilation is obtained and wherein the ventilation modes define different indoor temperature set points.

2. A method for controlling ventilation according to claim 1, wherein in each ventilation mode a value of each control parameter, whether fixed or adjustable, of that ventilation mode can be stored so that when switching from a first ventilation mode to a different, second ventilation mode and back to the first ventilation mode again, the control parameters of the first ventilation mode are restored, preferably the parameters can be stored on and restored from an electronic storage device such as a hard disk drive or a solid state drive.

3. A method for controlling ventilation according to claim 2, wherein at least two control parameters of the first mode are each set at different parameters in the second mode.

4. A method for controlling ventilation according to claim 1, wherein switching from one ventilation mode to another can be done by a user activating a single button, icon or the like, whereby at least two control parameters are changed from one mode to the other without the user activating further buttons, icons or the like.

5. A method for controlling ventilation according to claim 1, wherein control of the ventilation is done automatically.

6. A method for controlling ventilation according to claim 1, wherein in at least two of the ventilation modes both mechanical and natural ventilation can be activated dependent on the value from the sensor.

7. A method for controlling ventilation according claim 1, wherein at least one of the set of adjustable control parameters and the set of fixed control parameters comprises at least two control parameters.

8. A method for controlling ventilation according to claim 1, wherein the control parameters comprise an outdoor temperature set.

9. A method for controlling ventilation according to claim 8, wherein the ventilation modes define different outdoor temperature set points.

10. A method for controlling ventilation according to claim 1, wherein the adjustable control parameters comprise an indoor temperature set point.

11. A method for controlling ventilation according claim 1, wherein the adjustable control parameters comprise an indoor air quality threshold.

12. A method for controlling ventilation according to claim 1, wherein each ventilation mode comprises alternative settings, and each alternative setting is associated with the set of adjustable control parameters, each having an adjustable value selected among a group of mode dependent adjustable values, and a set of fixed control parameters each having a mode dependent fixed value.

13. A method for controlling ventilation according to claim 1, wherein each ventilation mode is associated with a consumption of a different amount of energy for providing the desired indoor climate.

14. A method for controlling ventilation according to claim 13, wherein the adjustable control parameters comprise an indoor maximum temperature threshold value and an indoor minimum temperature threshold value defining an indoor temperature range, wherein the ventilation mode associated with the lowest amount of energy consumption defines an indoor temperature range that is wider than an indoor temperature range defined by a ventilation mode with a higher amount of energy consumption.

15. A method for controlling ventilation according to claim 13, wherein the adjustable control parameters comprise an indoor maximum air quality threshold value, wherein the ventilation mode associated with the lowest amount of energy consumption defines an indoor maximum air quality threshold value, which is lower than the indoor maximum air quality threshold value defined by a ventilation mode with a higher amount of energy consumption.

16. A method for controlling ventilation according to claim 13, wherein the ventilation modes define different indoor air quality threshold values.

17. A method for controlling ventilation according claim 1, wherein the ventilation mode is selected by a user.

18. A system for controlling ventilation of an indoor area of a building, comprising:

a natural ventilation means,

a mechanical ventilation means,

a sensor, and

a control unit configured for ventilating the indoor area by activating the natural ventilation means and the mechanical ventilation means according to a ventilation mode selected among a plurality of ventilation modes, a set of adjustable control parameters and at least one measurement value from the sensor wherein;

each ventilation mode is associated with the set of adjustable control parameters,

each adjustable control parameter having an adjustable value selected among a group of mode dependent adjustable values,

each ventilation mode is associated with a set of fixed control parameters each having a mode dependent fixed value, wherein at least one of the mode dependent fixed values of at least one of the plurality of ventilation modes is different from at least one of the mode dependent fixed values of another of the plurality of ventilation modes; and

the control unit is configured for controlling the mechanical ventilation means and the natural ventilation means by comparing the measurement value from the sensor with a corresponding value of the control parameters of the ventilation mode such that a desired indoor climate defined by the ventilation mode is obtained and wherein the ventilation modes define different indoor temperature set points.

19. A system for controlling ventilation according to claim 18, configured so that in each ventilation mode a value of each control parameter, whether fixed or adjustable, of that ventilation mode can be stored so that when switching from a first ventilation mode to a different, second ventilation mode and back to the first ventilation mode again, the control parameters of the first ventilation mode are restored, preferably the parameters can be stored on and restored from an electronic storage device such as a hard disk drive or a solid state drive.

20. A system for controlling ventilation according to claim 19, configured so that at least two control parameters of the first mode can each be set at different parameters in the second mode.

21. A system for controlling ventilation according to claim 18, configured so that switching from one ventilation mode to another can be done by a user activating a single button, icon or the like, whereby at least two control parameters are changed from one mode to the other without the user activating further buttons, icons or the like.

22. A system for controlling ventilation according to claim 18, wherein the control unit is configured to control the ventilation automatically.

23. A system for controlling ventilation according to claim 18, configured so that in at least two of the ventilation modes both mechanical and natural ventilation can be activated dependent on the value from the sensor.

24. A system for controlling ventilation according to claim 18, wherein at least one the set of adjustable control parameters and the set of fixed control parameters comprises at least two control parameters.