JP2008508163A - Indoor air pressure management - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of minimizing or avoiding the so-called chimney effect in the building (20) involves controlling the temperature in a vertically extending shaft (40) such as an elevator hoistway or stairwell. The pressure difference between the usable or occupied space and the inside of the shaft (40) by controlling the air pressure at each of the floors (A, B, C, D) in the usable or occupied space of the building (20). Can be controlled. Maintaining proper pressure differential levels allows minimizing or avoiding chimney effects that would otherwise create an undesirably large airflow between the building interior and the outside surrounding environment Become.

Description

  The present invention generally relates to pneumatic control in buildings. More particularly, the present invention relates to the control of air pressure within a building to avoid pressure differentials that create undesired airflow between the interior of the building and the surrounding ambient environment.

  In various situations, air flow management and air pressure management in buildings are required and necessary. Various building structures require control of the air flow between the building interior and the building exterior space, for example, to prevent an undesirably large amount of air flow through the passages (ie doorways) that allow access to the building And In some situations, temperature differences inside and outside the building and the structure of the building create a pressure difference between the building interior and the outside environment, resulting in an undesirably large amount of airflow or gusts between the building interior and the outside environment. Will also occur. Undesirably, such airflow can change the heat load of the building, for example, and hinder comfortable passage through doorways.

  An example of undesirable air flow through a passage between a building and an external area can occur in high-rise buildings that include high shafts such as elevator hoistways or stairwells. If there is a difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures, such a shaft causes a so-called chimney effect. When passages that allow access to the building (ie doorways) are opened, the chimney effect creates a large air stream through these passages. The difference in pressure between the building interior and the external environment and the chimney effect cause such airflow.

  For example, the cool air outside the building in winter is heavier than the warm air inside the building. On the lower floors of the building, the external pressure is higher than the internal pressure. On the upper floors of high-rise buildings, external pressure is lower than internal pressure under many circumstances. Thus, if there is an opening (such as the entrance to the lobby entrance floor of a building), air tends to enter the building on the lower floors. This air tends to flow to the top of the building. Since the air flow goes to the path with the least resistance, external air entering the building tends to rise to the top of the building through a vertical shaft such as an elevator hoistway or stairwell.

  An example of a patent showing a configuration for reducing the chimney effect is shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-330247 published in December 1995. This document proposes using intake air to add cool air to the elevator shaft to draw outdoor air. There are limitations to this configuration.

  A typical approach to combating undesired airflow between the building and the surrounding external environment is to attempt to isolate the building from the external environment. Usually, the blockage of the passage between the inside and the outside of the building is realized using a revolving door. There are various disadvantages and difficulties with this approach. For example, revolving doors tend to limit the number of people that can pass through the doorway at any given time. To increase the amount of traffic possible, larger revolving doors with larger motors have been introduced. This approach is not ideal because it is more expensive due to the larger equipment and requires more space.

  Another difficulty with revolving doors is that people who want to automatically pass through a movable door tend to feel anxious about the timing of entering the aisle with the door movement. In many situations, once a person enters the vicinity of a revolving door, they are not allowed to move slowly or stop, and in such a case, they can hit one of the moving door panels.

  In order to improve air flow management with respect to the interior of a building, an improved configuration is needed that minimizes the occurrence of chimney effects. Furthermore, it would be beneficial to be able to eliminate the need for revolving doors at the building entrance. The present invention addresses these needs while avoiding the disadvantages and disadvantages described above.

  An exemplary disclosed method of controlling airflow within a building includes controlling airflow through a generally vertical shaft within the building. By maintaining the temperature in the shaft to correspond to the outdoor temperature outside the building and controlling the air pressure at each floor of the building based on the temperature in the shaft, the disclosed method minimizes the so-called chimney effect.

  In one embodiment, the air pressure of at least some floors of the building is adjusted in response to the difference between the pressure in the shaft and the pressure in the building's occupancy space being outside the selected range. One embodiment includes individually controlling the air pressure at each floor of the building. Another example includes dividing the floor set of the building into areas and controlling the pressure in each area.

  The disclosed building includes multiple floors. At least one shaft, such as a stairwell or elevator hoistway, extends generally vertically and provides doorways in at least some of the floors of the building. This temperature control mechanism for the shaft controls the temperature in the shaft so that the temperature in the shaft corresponds to the outdoor temperature outside the building.

  In one embodiment, the temperature control mechanism includes openings near both ends of the shaft to allow airflow to pass between the shaft and the exterior of the building.

  In one embodiment, the pressure control device controls the air pressure of each of the plurality of floors where the shaft is provided with doorways to control the pressure difference between the shaft and the building space. By controlling the air pressure of these floors, the pressure difference between the shaft and the floor can be controlled in a way that minimizes the so-called chimney effect.

  Various features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description.

  FIG. 1 shows a plurality of floors or floors A, B, C, D.D. . . . A building 20 including YY and ZZ is schematically shown. The example building 20 is a high-rise building.

  At least one shaft 40 extending in the vertical direction provides doorways on at least some floors of the building. In one embodiment, shaft 40 is an elevator hoistway. In another embodiment, the shaft 40 is a stairwell.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the temperature control mechanism is associated with the shaft 40. In this embodiment, the temperature control mechanism includes openings 42 and 44 that allow airflow between the interior of the shaft 40 and the environment outside the building 20. In this embodiment, openings 42 and 44 are near the ends of the shaft, allowing flow to pass through the shaft so that outside air flows through the shaft. As the outside air flows through the shaft, the temperature in the shaft corresponding to the external temperature is determined. In some situations, the external temperature and the temperature in the shaft will be approximately equal.

  FIG. 2 schematically illustrates selected control components of an example embodiment. In this embodiment, the temperature sensor 50 is supported within the shaft 40 and indicates the temperature at at least a portion of the shaft 40. Depending on the length of the shaft, a plurality of temperature sensors may be spaced apart along the height of the shaft. The plurality of temperature sensors can also accommodate temperature differences that can occur along the length of the shaft.

  The controller 52 receives information about the temperature in the shaft 40 from the temperature sensor 50. The control device 52 of one embodiment also receives information regarding the external temperature outside the building 20. If the controller 52 determines that there is a difference between the temperature in the shaft 40 and the temperature outside the building 20 and that the difference is outside the selected range, the controller 52 activates the ventilator 54 to activate the shaft 40. Increase the external air flow to. In one embodiment, the ventilator 54 includes a fan.

  In one embodiment, the direction of air movement in the shaft 40 is controlled according to the external temperature. On relatively cold days (ie, days when the external temperature is lower than the temperature inside the building), air is directed through the shaft from the bottom to the top. This is accomplished using one or more ventilators 54 associated with one or more openings 42, 44 or arranged in other ways that allow such air flow through the shaft 40. The On a relatively warm day (i.e., the day when the external temperature is higher than the temperature inside the building), air is directed from the top of the shaft 40 toward the bottom. This is accomplished in one embodiment using at least one ventilator 54 that directs airflow through the shaft in the desired direction.

  Managing the movement of air through the shaft in response to external temperatures ensures that the outside air in the shaft passes as desired and does not enter the building's usable or occupied space.

  By maintaining the correspondence between the temperature inside the shaft 40 and the temperature outside the building 20, the pressure difference between the shaft and the outside of the building is minimized. This helps to minimize the so-called chimney effect. The embodiment disclosed in FIG. 2 also includes a configuration that manages the pressure at different floors of the building 20 to minimize the pressure differential between the shaft 40 and the usable or occupied space of each floor.

  In one embodiment, the temperature at the stairwell is also controlled to correspond to the temperature control in the elevator shaft. This embodiment adjusts the temperature management of all shafts 40 in the building to avoid the pressure increase at the stairwell entrance that could otherwise occur if only the elevator shaft temperature is controlled. .

  Considering the embodiment of FIG. 2, the controller 60 controls the air pressure of the illustrative YY floor of the building 20 to further enhance the function of airflow control. In this embodiment, the controller 60 controls a ventilator 62, such as that associated with a known HVAC system, to increase or decrease the air flow to the YY floor, thereby increasing or decreasing the air pressure at that floor of the building. In the illustrated embodiment, the controller 60 receives information about the temperature in the shaft 40 from the temperature sensor 50 and makes an appropriate air pressure adjustment for that floor of the building. The temperature in the shaft 40 is related to the pressure in the shaft as is generally known. The controller 60 uses such information to maintain air pressure in the usable or occupied space of the building's YY floor to obtain the desired pressure difference between that floor of the building and the shaft 40.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 2, a pressure sensor 64 is provided at an appropriate position in the usable or occupied space on the YY floor of the building so that the controller 60 can make an appropriate air pressure adjustment and can be used or A desired pressure difference is obtained between the occupied space and the shaft 40. In one embodiment, some pressure difference is acceptable. In another embodiment, the controller 60 is programmed to maintain the air pressure of that floor of the building so that there is virtually no pressure difference between the usable or occupied space of this floor and the corresponding portion of the shaft 40. Has been.

  If the air pressure is controlled at the floor of the building to control the pressure difference between the interior of the shaft 40 and the usable or occupied space at each floor, there is no pressure difference that causes a significant air flow to enter the space within the shaft 40. It is possible to minimize the occurrence of the so-called chimney effect. This eliminates the need for a shut-off configuration at the building entrance, which is normally realized, for example, by the use of a revolving door. By effectively managing the pressure in the building and controlling the temperature in the shaft 40 and the pressure accordingly, the so-called chimney effect can be minimized or avoided.

  In one embodiment, the controller 60 is set to control the air pressure on each floor in the building for each floor. In another embodiment, a group of building floors is controlled as a single area. Managing different pressure levels at different relative heights within the building by controlling each floor individually or by controlling the group of floors in the area, the fluctuations that occur along the length or height of the shaft 40, In addition, it is possible to cope with the air pressure difference generated outside the building at a height corresponding to a different floor of the building. In view of the above description, one skilled in the art will be able to select whether individual floor control or area control will best meet the needs of their individual circumstances.

  In order to obtain the desired pressure difference between the usable or occupied space of the building and the vertically extending shaft by obtaining the air pressure at different floors in the building, the known relationship between the outside air temperature and the air pressure and Well known pneumatic control techniques can be used. Those skilled in the art will be able to choose from these well-known techniques to meet the needs of their individual circumstances.

  The foregoing description is exemplary rather than limiting. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications to the disclosed embodiments do not necessarily depart from the essence of the invention. The scope of legal protection afforded this invention can only be determined by studying the claims.

It is a figure showing an example building roughly. FIG. 3 schematically illustrates selected control elements of an exemplary embodiment.

Claims (20)

A shaft in which the elevator cab can move,
When the outdoor temperature is lower than the temperature in the shaft, provided that the temperature in the shaft corresponds to the outdoor temperature in the vicinity of the shaft, and the outdoor temperature is lower than the temperature in the shaft. A temperature control mechanism for directing the air flow in the shaft in a first direction and directing the air flow in the shaft in the opposite second direction when the outdoor temperature is higher than the temperature in the shaft;
Elevator hoistway with   The temperature control mechanism includes at least one opening near each end of the shaft, each of the openings allowing air flow to pass between the shaft and an outdoor environment near the shaft. The elevator hoistway according to 1.   The elevator hoistway of claim 2, comprising at least one temperature sensor that indicates a temperature of at least a portion of the shaft.   A ventilator that selectively changes the air flow between the shaft and the outdoor environment in response to an indication from the temperature sensor that the temperature within the shaft does not correspond to the outdoor temperature within a selected range. Item 4. The elevator hoistway according to item 3.   The elevator hoistway according to claim 2, wherein the opening defines a passage for airflow through the shaft such that outside air flows through the shaft.   The elevator hoistway according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control mechanism maintains the temperature in the shaft so as to be substantially equal to the outdoor temperature. A method of controlling air flow through a generally vertical shaft in a multi-story building comprising:
Adjusting the temperature in the shaft to correspond to the outdoor temperature outside the building;
Controlling the air pressure of at least one floor of the building based on the temperature in the shaft;
A method comprising:   8. The method of claim 7, comprising adjusting the air pressure of the at least one floor to maintain a pressure difference between the shaft and the at least one floor within a selected range.   8. The method of claim 7, comprising individually controlling the air pressure of each of the plurality of floors.   The method according to claim 7, comprising dividing at least two of the plurality of floors as an area and controlling the air pressure of the area.   The method of claim 7, comprising controlling the air pressure of each of the plurality of floors to obtain a desired pressure difference between the shaft and each floor.   8. The method of claim 7, comprising increasing air flow at the at least one floor to increase air pressure at the at least one floor.   The method of claim 7, wherein the shaft comprises either a stairwell or an elevator hoistway.   When the outdoor temperature is lower than the temperature in the shaft, the air flow in the shaft is directed in the first direction, and when the outdoor temperature is higher than the temperature in the shaft, the air flow in the shaft is opposite to the first direction. The method of claim 7 including directing in two directions.   The method of claim 7, wherein the building includes a plurality of generally vertical shafts, and the method includes adjusting a temperature within the shaft. Multiple floors,
At least one elevator hoistway shaft provided with doorways in at least some of the floors;
At least one stairwell shaft provided with doorways in at least some of the floors;
A temperature control mechanism provided in association with each of the shafts to control the temperature within each shaft such that the temperature within the shaft is adjusted to correspond to an outdoor temperature outside the building;
Building with.   The building according to claim 16, further comprising a pressure control device that controls air pressure at each of at least some of the plurality of floors.   18. A building as claimed in claim 17, wherein the pressure control device maintains the air pressure at each floor to obtain a desired pressure difference between the air pressure at the floor and at least the air pressure within the elevator hoistway shaft.   When the outdoor temperature is lower than the temperature in the elevator hoistway shaft, the temperature control mechanism directs at least the air flow in the elevator hoistway shaft in the first direction, and the outdoor temperature is in the elevator hoistway shaft. 17. A building according to claim 16, wherein at least the air flow in the elevator hoistway shaft is directed in the opposite second direction when the temperature is higher than.   The building of claim 19, wherein the temperature control mechanism also directs air flow within the stairwell shaft in the first and second directions.

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