Distributed indoor air quality control module and method

摘要

An indoor air quality (IAQ) control module may be provided for sensing and controlling the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of a zone in a building. The IAQ control module may receive a supply air sample from a supply vent and a return air sample from a return vent, where the air samples are taken using the pressure created by a blower within the HVAC system. The IAQ control module may then compute a differential value for each of the sensed one or more air parameters and generate a control signal or command based on at least the differential value(s). The IAQ control module may then communicate the control signal to an airflow control device to control the airflow to and/or from the zone.

主权项

1. An indoor air quality (IAQ) control module for providing a signal to one of a plurality of zone controllers of a building, the building having an HVAC system that is controlled by an HVAC controller that is operatively coupled to the plurality of zone controllers, each of the zone controllers controlling a corresponding one of a plurality of zones of the building, the HVAC system further including a blower for supplying supply air to the plurality of zones of the building via a supply air duct and for drawing return air from the plurality of zones of the building via a return air duct, each zone controller controlling a corresponding supply airflow device that controls the flow of supply air into the corresponding zone from the supply air duct, the indoor air quality control module associated with one of the zone controllers and comprising:
at least one sensor; a first pressure tap for receiving a supply air sample from the supply air that flows into the corresponding zone under a pressure created by the blower of the HVAC system, the indoor air quality control module directing the supply air sample past the at least one sensor and to a vent, the supply air sample being pushed through the first pressure tap, past the at least one sensor and to the vent by the pressure created by the blower of the HVAC system, the at least one sensor configured to sense a first air parameter of the supply air sample before the supply air sample exits through the vent; a second pressure tap for receiving a return air sample from the return air drawn from the corresponding zone under a pressure created by the blower of the HVAC system, the indoor air quality control module directing the return air sample past the at least one sensor and to the vent, the return air sample being pushed through the second pressure tap, past the at least one sensor and to the vent by the pressure created by the blower of the HVAC system, the at least one sensor configured to sense the first air parameter of the return air sample before the return air sample exits through the vent; a controller for causing the indoor air quality control module to alternate between sensing the first air parameter of the supply air sample and sensing the first air parameter of the return air sample, and to output a measure that is related to a differential between the sensed first air parameter of the supply air sample and the sensed first air parameter of the return air sample to the zone controller such that the zone controller can regulate the supply air directed to the corresponding zone by the supply airflow device based on the measure that is related to the differential between the sensed first air parameter of the supply air sample and the sensed first air parameter of the return air sample, wherein the indoor air quality control module is a separate module from the HVAC controller and the corresponding zone controller.