SE534370C2 - System and method for ventilating a confined space - Google Patents

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An aspect of the invention addresses at least in part the above with a system for ventilating a confined space, of which at least one indoor sensor is arranged to measure temperature and relative humidity in the delimited space, at least one outdoor sensor arranged to measure temperature and relative humidity outside the delimited space, a controllable fan adapted to ventilate the delimited space, and a control unit connected to the at least one indoor sensor, at least one outdoor sensor and the controllable fl, the control unit being configured so that it can determine the absolute steam content within the delimited space and the absolute steam content outside the delimited space, where the control unit is further configured to operate the controllable fan if the absolute steam content outside the delimited space is lower or equal to the absolute steam content inside the delimited space, and the temperature in it delimit the space is above a predetermined temperature limit value when the temperature outside the delimited space is below the temperature in the delimited space.

The present invention is based on the realization that controlled forced ventilation may be advantageous based on a comparison of absolute vapor content "indoors" and absolute vapor content "outdoors" instead of being controlled on the corresponding relative humidity in / outside the confined space, which is the case. with some previous systems. By using the absolute steam content inside / outside the delimited space, the reliability of the system and thus the possibility of protecting the delimited space from e.g. moisture-related problems and / or damage.

In addition, and as noted above, the confined space is not ventilated if the indoor temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature limit value and if the outdoor temperature is lower than the indoor temperature. This temperature limit value is preferably in the range 3 - 10 ° C, or preferably between 4 - 8 ° C or most preferably between 5 - 6 ° C. when these temperature thresholds are lowered, i.e. when the indoor temperature is, for example, below 3 - 10 ° C, there are no moisture problems and / or damage. 10 15 20 25 30 534 3 '? 0 Since it is not necessary to ventilate the delimited space below the predefined temperature limit example exemplified above, hot air inside the crawl space will not be ventilated away, which would otherwise affect other spaces, for example living areas adjacent to the delimited space. . In some cases, however, it may be necessary / appropriate to also ventilate the delimited area, even if the indoor temperature is lower than the predefined temperature limit value. In such cases, however, it is desirable to ventilate in a restrictive manner, possibly for shorter periods of time.

The enclosed, or at least partially enclosed, confined space is preferably a basement, crawl space, attic, a storage room, a caravan, a trailer and a cabin. Another demarcated place that is sensitive to moisture damage is the spaces inside boats. In particular, engine rooms and interiors of boats stored in marinas can easily become moldy, giving the boats a musty odor and damaging the interior of the boats.

In a preferred design, the system consists of at least two outdoor sensors located on opposite sides of the delimited space, for example an outdoor sensor is mounted on the north side of the delimited space and a sensor is mounted on the south side of the delimited space. Additional sensors, inside and / or outside the delimited space may of course be possible and within the scope of the invention. In addition, by providing the system with at least one controllable valve connected to the control unit, for example two controllable valves mounted on the north and south sides of the delimited space, the system is configured to be able to control the ventilation in the delimited space, and thus it can be possible to ventilate the delimited space with air from the side of the delimited space where the conditions are currently most favorable.

In some cases, it is also possible to completely close the at least one controllable valve if the absolute steam content outside the delimited space is higher than the absolute steam content inside the delimited space.

In some cases it is also possible to equip the system with a dehumidifier which is connected to and controlled by the control unit, where the control unit can be configured to close the at least one adjustable valve and operate the dehumidifier if the relative humidity within the delimited space 10 15 20 25 30 534 370 exceeds a predefined limit value, where the limit value of the relative humidity is preferably between 50 - 85%, preferably between 55 - 75% and most preferably between 60 - 70%. Operating the dehumidifier may be necessary if conditions are very unfavorable and obvious moisture-related problems may exist. Such conditions may, for example, relate to specific weather conditions and / or construction technical problems.

Preferably, the system comprises a storage mechanism which is connected to the control unit and configured to store data from indoor and / or outdoor sensor (s). The storage can for example be digital storage such as e.g. a USB or flash memory card, such as CompactFlash, Memory Stick, Secure Digital etc. and the homeowner or any other valid or possibly valid user can use the data to get an overview of the conditions in the delimited space for a longer period of time, e.g. over a month, quarter, year and so on in order to assess the structural integrity of the house.

Alternatively or additionally, the storage can be connected to a tar server where the information from the sensor (s) is stored. Thus, other users, such as potential home buyers, brokers, etc. can gain access to the information and thus draw conclusions about the health of the home. The data transmission can be via wired network or wireless, for example wired connections such as USB, FireWire, VGA, or similar, and wireless connection such as WLAN, CDMA, GSM, GPRS, 3G mobile communication, 4G mobile communication, Bluetooth, IR or similar.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of venting a defined space. The method comprises measures for measuring temperature and relative humidity within a delimited space by means of at least one indoor sensor, measuring temperature and relative humidity outside the delimited space by means of at least one outdoor sensor, determining the absolute vapor content within the delimited space, determining the absolute vapor content outside the defined space, and operate a fan if the absolute vapor content outside the confined space is lower or equal to the absolute vapor content within defined space, and the temperature in the defined space is above a predefined temperature limit value when the temperature outside the defined space is below the temperature in the delimited space. This aspect of the invention provides similar advantages as discussed above over the previous aspect of the invention.

Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon study of the appended claims and the following description. One skilled in the art will appreciate that various features of the present invention may be combined to create additional designs other than those described below, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The various aspects of the invention, including its features and advantages, will be readily understood from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 conceptually illustrates a presently preferred embodiment of the system for venting a confined space, and Fig. 2 shows a schematic flow diagram of a presently preferred method of venting a confined space.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. However, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited by the embodiment described herein; instead, these embodiments are attached for thoroughness and completeness, and thus convey the full scope of the invention to one skilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawings and to Fig. 1 in particular, there is shown a system 100 for venting a confined space, such as a crawl space 102. The system 100 includes an indoor sensor 104, for example, centrally mounted within the crawl space 102 and a first and second outdoor sensors. 106, 106 'which are mounted on opposite sides 102 ,, 102., outside the crawl space 102. The indoor 104 and outdoor sensors 106, 106' may be of the same type, or be specially adapted depending on their location, e.g. with different water protection, protective cover. Each of the sensors 104, 106, 106 'is configured to measure the temperature (T / .nne / out) and the relative humidity 534 370 (RHime / ure) at their respective locations. The sensors 104, 106, 106 'may contain a combination of sensors for sensing temperature and humidity, or may be combined into a single element.

The system 100 also includes a controllable fan 108 which is adapted to ventilate the confined space. The fan 108 is advantageously mounted in the vicinity of a ventilation hole V1 in the crawl space 102 and is configured to provide an amount of ventilation which depends, for example, on the volume / area of the crawl space 102, for example by means of speed control of the 10 screen 108. The fan 108 can operate in two directions , tex. to draw air from the outside of the delimited space 102 into the delimited space 102, or to draw air from the inside of the delimited space 102 out to the outside of the delimited space 102. The chosen direction depends, for example, on the type of delimited space 102, where e.g. is advantageous to draw air out of a crawl space, but at the same time to draw air into a wind.

The system further includes a controller 110 connected to the indoor and outdoor sensors 104, 106 and 106 'and the fan 108. The connection between the sensors 104, 106 and 106', the hub 108 and the controller 110 may be provided with cables or be wireless (e.g. Bluetooth, IR, ZigBee or similar). The controller 110 may include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable digital signal processor or other programmable device. The control unit 110 may also, or instead of, include a special integrated circuit (AS1C), a programmable gate matrix with programmable matrix logic, a programmable logic unit or a digital signal processor. When the control unit 110 contains a programmable unit such as e.g. a microprocessor or microcontroller mentioned above, the processor may comprise additional code that controls the operation of the programmable device.

The controller 110 is further coupled to a logging mechanism, such as a memory 116 configured to store data from sensors and / or operating periods and speed of the fan 108. Alternatively or in addition, the controller 110 may be provided with a communication module 118 for sending the stored data, e.g. . to a server (not shown). Fig. 1 also shows a number of additional ventilation holes V2, V3, V4 and V5 where two ventilation holes are located on opposite sides 1023, 102, of the crawl space 102 and are connected to the first and second outputs 106, 106. ”. The opposite sides 1028, 102, of the crawl space 102 may, for example, represent the north and south sides of a building where the crawl space 102 forms a foundation. Each or at least some of the ventilation holes V2, V3, V4 and V5 can be equipped with valves 112 which are connected and controlled by the control unit 110. The valves 112 can be configured to be controlled individually and to be able to be opened to different levels. More (or fewer) ventilation holes, valves and outdoor sensors can of course be used e.g. one outdoor sensor per ventilation hole / valve.

Some embodiments of the system 100 may also consist of a dehumidifier 114 installed inside the crawl space 102 and controlled by the control unit 110, such as, for example, a mechanical / condensate dehumidifier or a sorption dehumidifier. The type of dehumidifier 112 may, for example, depend on the expected temperature inside the confined space, where mechanical / condensate dehumidifiers generally only work at temperatures above 12 ° C. When a dehumidifier 114 is used, water generated by the dehumidifier 114 can be discharged from the crawl space 102 using, for example, a pipe or hose (not shown). Fig. 2 shows a schematic flow diagram of a presently preferred method of operating the system 100 for venting the crawl space 102.

The process starts in steps S1 and S2, where the control unit 110 collects values of the temperature Tinne / uje, and the relative humidity, RHinna / ut., From inside and outside the crawl space 102 by means of the indoor sensor 104 and the outdoor sensors 106, 106 ”. Followed by the collection of the temperature Tme / uje, and the relative humidity, RHmne / uje, the control unit in steps S3 and S4 determines the value of the absolute vapor content AHrnne / uje for each of the sensors 104, 106 106 '. Ie. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, inside the crawl space 102, the sensors on the north side 1023 outside the creep ground and on the south side 102b outside the creep ground 102. The control unit 110 can determine the absolute steam content, , 106, 106 'by an approximate calculation or by using, for example, a Mollier diagram adapted for the controller 110. Depending on the results of the calculation of the absolute vapor content of AHmeMe for each of the sensors 104, 106, 106 ”. the controllable fl shaft can be operated, S5, to ventilate the crawl space 102. The general condition for ventilating the crawl space 102 depends on whether the absolute steam content AHme outside the crawl base 102 is lower or equal to the absolute steam content AHinne inside the crawl space 102, and also that the temperature Tim., Inside the creeping ground 102 is above a predetermined temperature limit value when the temperature Ture outside the creeping ground 102 is lower than the temperature Tinne inside the creeping ground 102.

In the preferred embodiment of the system 100 shown in Fig. 1 and provided in a crawl space 102, the temperature limit value is around 5-6 ° C and the conditions on each of the sides 102,., 102b outside the crawl space are taken into account. This means that on a cold but sunny day when the sun only shines on the south side 1021, the conditions on the north side 1023 may be such that the general conditions above are not met, for example if one takes the average conditions on the north side and south side page, 1023, 102b.

If, on the other hand, one only compares the conditions on the south side 102m, the conditions for driving the kten 108 and ventilating the crawl space may be met. If there are valves 112 mounted in the ventilation holes V2, V3 on the north side 102, these can be closed. When running the fan 108, only air will be drawn into the crawl space 102 through the ventilation openings V4, Vf, on the south side 102b where the valves 112 are open. Other means of controlling the valves 112 and the spigot 108 can of course be used, for example where the valves 112 are run individually so that the crawl space 102 is ventilated in the most advantageous manner in accordance with the general conditions of the invention. The retrieval, S1 / S2, and the determination S31S4 are advantageously made periodically, for example every minute or hour. Accordingly, the best possible ventilation can be created for the crawl space 102. In addition, substantially parallel to steps S1-S5, the control unit can also have another step S6 performed where the values obtained by the sensors 104, 106, 106 'together with speed / driving time for fl marriage 108 will be stored. Although the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, many different variations, modifications and the like will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Variations to the appended embodiments may be understood and practiced by one skilled in the art in the practice of the invention by studying drawings, descriptions and the appended claims. For example, in the above description of the ventilation system, a number of parts, for example valves, dehumidifiers, etc. have been included with a system. However, the system does not have to contain all the parts shown above at all times, but instead only some of these parts are necessary to be able to exhibit at least the basic functions of the invention as defined by the claims below. In some cases, the conditions in a crawl space are also so unfavorable that it is necessary to operate the dehumidifier, for example if the relative humidity, RHmm, reaches 70 - 75%. When this happens, it can be beneficial to close all valves. Furthermore, in cases where the fan has a valve (not shown), it is also advantageous to close this valve.

In addition, in the claims, the word "include" does not mean that other parts or steps are excluded, and the definite form "one" or "one" does not exclude that there may be several of the same type.

Claims (10)

10 15 20 25 30 534 370 10 PATENT REQUIREMENTS A system (100) for ventilating a confined space (102), comprising: - at least one indoor sensor (104) arranged to measure temperature (Tim) and relative humidity (RHínne) within the delimited area (102); - at least one outdoor sensor (106) arranged to measure temperature (Ture) and relative humidity (RHuie) outside the confined space (102); - a controllable fan (108) adapted to ventilate the confined space (102); and - a control unit (110) connected (it) to at least one indoor sensor (104), the at least one outdoor sensor (106) and the controlled fan (108). wherein the control unit (110) is configured to determine absolute vapor content (AHmie) within the defined space (102) and absolute vapor content (AHuie) outside the defined space (102), the control unit (110) being further configured to operate the controllable fan (108). ) if: - the absolute vapor content (AHuie) outside the confined space (102) is lower than or equal to the absolute vapor content (AHinne) inside the confined space, and -the temperature (Tim) inside the confined space (102) is above a predefined temperature limit value when the temperature (Inch) outside the confined space (102) is lower than the temperature (Tin) inside the confined space (102). A system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature limit value is within 3 - 10 ° C, preferably within 4 - 8 ° C most preferably within 5 - 6 ° C. A system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the delimited space (102) is selected from a group of spaces consisting of basement, crawl space, attic, storage, caravan, trailer or cottage. 10 15 20 25 30 534 370 11 A system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system (100) comprises at least two outdoor sensors (106, 106 ') located on opposite sides (1023, 102b) of the delimited space (102). A system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system (100) comprises at least one controllable valve (112) coupled to the control unit (110), and the control unit (110) is configured to close the (at least one) valve ( 112) if the absolute vapor content (AHme) outside the confined space (102) is higher than the absolute vapor content (AHme) inside the delimited space (102). The system (100) of claim 5, wherein the system (100) comprises a dehumidifier (114) coupled and controlled by the control unit (110), the control unit (110) being configured to close the (at least one) valve (112). and operating the dehumidifier (114) if the relative humidity (RHme) within the defined space (102) is higher than a predetermined relative humidity limit value. A system (100) according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined relative humidity limit value is within the range 50 - 85%, preferably between 55 - 75% and most preferably between 60 - 70%. A system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system (100) also consists of a user-accessible storage unit (116) which is connected to a control unit (110) and is configured to store the data from indoor and / or outdoor sensors (s). ) (104, 106, 106 '). A method of venting a confined space (102), the method comprising the steps of: - collecting data in the form of (S1) temperature (Time) and relative humidity (RHinne) within the delimited space (102) using at least one encoder (104); Collecting data in the form of (S2) temperature (Tute) and relative humidity (RHme) outside the confined space (102) using at least one outdoor sensor (106); - determining (S3) the absolute vapor content (AHmn-s) within the defined space (102); - determining (S4) the absolute vapor content (AHuie) outside the bounded space (102); and - operating (S5) a controllable fan (108) if: - the absolute vapor content (Al-tilt) outside the confined space (102) is lower than or equal to the absolute vapor content (AMemale) inside the confined space, and the temperature ( Tin) inside the confined space (102) is above a predefined temperature limit value when the temperature (Tule) outside the delimited space (102) is lower than the temperature (Tinne) inside the delimited space (102). The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of storing (S6) data from indoor and / or outdoor sensor (s) (104, 106, 106 ').