VENTILATION CONTROL PROCEDURE AND VENTILATION CONTROL MEANS

Abstract: A displacement ventilation control procedure in which the impurity and/or moisture concentration of the air containing impurities which accumulates in the part of the room or hall space above the staying zone and/or their changes and/or their differences are observed and the ventilation of the room or hall space is accordingly controlled. The invention also concerns a ventilation control means.

Description: Ventilation control procedure and ventilation control means The present invention concerns a procedure for control of displace- 5 ment air flow ventilation. The invention also concerns a ventilation control apparatus. Ventilation control procedures, and apparatus, of the art have heretofore been based, as regards air distribution in the room " 10 space, mostly on application of the mixing principle. In recent times the displacement principle has been increasingly adopted; this is a method on the control of which entirely novel requirements are imposed. •5 ι n displacement ventilation, two zones are established in the room: a pure, and cooler, zone in the lower part of the room, and an impure, and warmer, zone in the upper part of the room. The impurity content in the upper part of the room may then be even . more than twenty times the impurity content in the lower part of 0 the room. It is therefore important to make sure that the impure zone in the upper part of the room does not extend into the staying zone and, above all, that it does not enter the breathing zone. It has been a highly prominent drawback from the viewpoint of 5 operation of any displacement ventilation installation that one has endeavoured to de.termine the requisite air flow by theoretical- calculation and by directing the ventilation similarly as mixing ventilation is directed, which has resulted in poor accuracy as regards the air flows and in difficulties of steering. According 0 to the invention, an entirely new ventilation control procedure and apparatus design have now been created wherein use is made of the feature, typical of displacement ventilation, that there occurs an impurity boundary layer or a sharp impurity gradient. 5 As taught by the invention, in the procedure the presence of said boundary layer is indicated in the room space. When the impure air boundary layer moves past a given room or hall level plane, measuring instruments react on the event and control the ventilation in the room, in a pre-programmed manner. When for instance smoke accumulates in a room space or hall space, the height of the respective boundary layer and/or the impurity content differentials in the room and/or the impurity concentrations at various levels in the room are indicated, and the ventilation is accordingly controlled. It is possible, instead of direct measurement of impurity concen¬ tration, to measure the impurity concentration indirectly by measuring the humidity of the room air, in which case the measure¬ ment is otherwise performed in fully equivalent manner as the direct measurement of impurity concentration. The procedure of the invention is in its main parts characterized in that the impurity and/or humidity concentration of the air containing impurities which accumulates in the part of the room or hall sp'ace above the staying zone and/or their changes and/or their differences are observed and the ventilation of the room or hall space is accordingly controlled. The part above is understood to mean that part of the room space which does not belong to the staying zone proper. The ventilation control means of the invention is in its main parts characterized in that it comprises a transmitter means which has been disposed to send out a measuring signal into the room space, said measuring signal being arranged to travel in the air in the room space and part of the measuring signal being arranged to be absorbed by the impurities in the air in the room space, the ventilation of the room space being controlled on the basis of the amount of impurities, in desired manner. Indication of the impurity concentration Is most advantageously accomplished by using for instance an infrared signal. Said Indi¬ cation may also take place by other means, for instance using light-optical observation, or using an ultrasonic signal. As taught by the invention, in the hall space are installed means indicating the boundary layer, advantageously a measuring transmitter and a corresponding receiver. As taught by the invention, the measuring signal may be sent across the hall space, and advantageously across the upper part of the hall space, to a reflector which reflects the beam further possibly to a second reflector and further to a third, etc., and finally to a receiver means, which indicates the ultimate intensity of the ultrasonic signal, for instance. The thicker and more impurity-laden the air, the smaller the fraction of the signal which reaches the receiver means. As taught by the invention, the measuring event may also be ac¬ complished in the way that only certain impurities and only the occurrence of said certain impurities are indicated. In that case, in one embodiment of the invention, the measuring beam, which is understood to be any kind of radiation, is passed through a corre¬ lation cell, for instance through a grey filter, and through a sampling means and a reference means containing material of the kind which is to be indicated, to a band-pass filter and thence further to a detector which observes the absorption of the signal in the impurities. In said procedure, advantageously, reference signal and measuring signal spectra are formed. By comparing said signal levels, the occurrence of the respective impurities in the air in the hall space is observed. The control electronics and the control means are so adjusted according to the invention that on transgression of a given impurity limit a blower and/or a control means is activated and/or in another way the ventilation of the room space is controlled, either boosting or reducing the venti¬ lation. The invention is described in the following, referring to certain advantageous embodiments of the invention, presented in the figures of the drawings enclosed, yet to which the invention is not meant to be exclusively confined. In Figs 1A and IB is presented the measuring principle of the invention. The presentation is schematic. In Fig. 1A, the vertical coordinate represents the height h of the room space, and on the horizontal coordinate is plotted the occurrence of impurities c in the room air, as percentages. In Fig. IB, the horizontal coordi¬ nate represents temperature and the vertical coordinate, the height of the room space. In Fig. 2 is illustrated a measuring process in which a measuring signal sent out by a transmitter means and received by a receiver means Is employed. The air Impurities in the hall space are measured with the aid of the measuring signal. In Fi ' g. 3A is depicted another measuring means arrangement, in which the measuring means has been disposed to measure the air impurities in the upper part of the staying zone In the hall space, in the way that the measuring signal has been disposed to pass through a plurality of reflection points before arriving at the receiver. In Fig. 3B is shown the room space of Fig. 3A, seen from above. Figs 3C and 3D present other advantageous embodiments of the measuring arrangement. ,In Fig. 4 is illustrated the use of a measuring signal, advan¬ tageously an infrared signal, in the ventilation control procedure. The apparatus design has been shown schematically. In Fig. 5 are displayed the spectra of the reference signal and measuring signal, plotted over wavelength. In Figs 1A and IB is illustrated the principle of measurement of the Invention, in diagrammatic presentation. The height h In the room is represented by the vertical coordinate, and the occurrence of Impurities c Is plotted on the horizontal coordinate. The course of temperature in the height direction of the room has also been shown in the figure, in vertical coordinates. A first case is identified with subscripts 1 and a second event with subscripts 2, and a third with subscripts 3. When in case 1 the temp.erature Δt in the upper part of the room space is e.g. 24°C and the temperature in the staying zone is e.g. 20°C, the differential temperature in case 1 between the staying zone and the upper room space is 4°. In case 2 the temperature is higher in the upper part of the room space. From the graphic presentation in the figure, the distribution of impurity particles at various heights in the room is seen. At the same time one may note on comparison of cases 1 and 2 that the impurity concentration and the per cent occurrence of impurities at various heights in the room also increase with increasing differential temperature. In frequent instances one may notice e.g. in the case of welding halls a distinct impurity zone adjacent to the ceiling of the hall, and a distinct boundary can be seen between said zone and the staying zone. The higher Δt, the lower is the position of the pure/impure air boundary layer. Thus when Δt increases, the venti¬ lation should also increase in order that the impurity zone in the upper part of the hall space might not extend as far as to the staying zone. In the graphic presentation of the figure, the air quantity entering the room and to be removed has been indicated with Q^ in the first case considered, with Q2 in the second case considered, and with Q3 in the third case considered. It is seen in Fig. 1 how the impurity concentration changes with the height of the hall space. Three cases have been depicted in the figure. The air flow is Q^ in the first case, Q2 in the second case and Q3 in the third case. Q- ] _ is greater than Q2, and Q2 is greater than Q3. Thus, the air flow rate differences in the control may be quite small, yet in the impurity concentration, and particu¬ larly in the height of the boundary layer (heights k ] _,k2,k3) con¬ siderable differences are revealed by the family of curves. The room space height vs. impurity concentration graphs present fairly horizontal parts ;ι_,F2,F3, the impurity concentration C increasing greatly at the said height locations in the room, k ] _,k2,k3. The curves in the figure reveal that by changing the flow Q ] _,Q2,Q3 the position of the curve sections F ] _,F2,F3 in the room space can be influenced. Comparing the case of Q^ with that of Q3 we find that in the case of Q j _ the region F^ is located at considerably greater height than the region F3 in the case of Q3. Thus with air flow Q^ the impurity boundary layer is located high up In the upper part of the room. In the case of Q3, again, the impurity boundary layer is located nearly in the staying zone, that is, the zone where its occurrence is meant to be prevented. At the height position k2 a measuring means is applied to produce a measuring beam S2, which in the case of Q2- registers the presence of a boundary layer and presence of a region (F2) . When now the ' air flow rate is changed and the air flow becomes Q^, the measuring means E-2 observes no boundary layer, as the boundary layer is located at height k j _. It is also seen from Fig. 1 that when impurities are measured e.g. above the staying zone of the room e.g. at the point R ? , a great impurity concentration difference G^-C^ will be measured between the cases of Q^ and Q3. Therefore, at said point In the room space it is easy to measure with adequate accuracy the changes of impurity concentration and the gradient of change. Even minor air flow rate changes in the ventilation are observed as great changes of the impurity concentration. Thus, the control can be made accurate enough. It is also seen from the figure that measuring the con¬ centration differences C3' and C^' at height position R Q in the room space would require remarkably precise measuring equipment; in any other case the control would be indefinite, or more accurate and more expensive measuring means would be required. In Fig. IB are shown the temperature graphs corresponding to the cases of Q^, Q2 and Q3. The horizontal axis represents temperature and the vertical axis, the height In the room. The impurity con¬ centration increases towards the upper part of the room space. The temperature also increases as shown in Fig. IB. When temperature pick-ups are used for measuring means, temperatures T ] _, 2 and T3 are measured at the height R ? in the upper part of the room which are mutually markedly different. It is thus possible at said height in the hall space to observe even quite great temperature differ¬ ences, which indicate changes of impurity concentration and/or changes in the air flow rate. It is thus possible by temperature measurement in the upper part of the staying zone to govern the control process in which the volumetric flow entering the room is changed in desired direction. In the air flow control said tempera¬ ture pick-up may further be used to observe the temperature change due to increasing or decreasing the air flow. The pick-up observes without difficulty those changes of temperature which appear at said height in the room. No highly accurate recognition of the absolute value is required of the pick-up. On the other hand if tem¬ perature measurement had been implemented at the height R Q , con¬ siderable accuracy of the pick-up would have been demanded, and as a consequence the control process would be less accurate, or the measuring and control equipment in question would have to be specified to provide higher measuring accuracy of the absolute value of the measured quantity, which in its turn would imply higher cost. Occurrence of the impurity boundary layer is observed when an air impurity concentration surpassing a given value has been measured with the measuring means. Impurities are here under¬ stood to mean comprehensively all undesirable particles in the air, for instance water vapour. In Fig. 2 is depicted a measuring situation in which is used a measuring signal sent out by a transmitter means and received by a receiver means. The hall space has been schematically depicted in the figure. In the upper part of the hall space a boundary layer has become established, which has been denoted with K. For observing the location of said boundary layer K, and/or the air impurity quantities, a means 10 is used. The measuring means 10 comprises, in an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a transmitter 11, which sends a measuring signal s to a means 12. In the presenta¬ tion of Fig. 2 the measuring signal has been disposed to run from the transmitter means 11 to the receiver means 12 in such manner that the transmitter means 11 has been mounted on one wall of the hall space and the receiver means similarly on the opposite wall of the hall space. The measuring signal 10 has been disposed to be located in the part of the room space A above the staying zone, and at the desired boundary layer height. If the ventilation is deficient or inad¬ equate, the boundary layer K will descend into the staying zone and impurities will occur In the lower part of the room space in objectionable quantity. The measuring signal 10 indicates in the embodiment of Fig. 2 the location of said boundary layer in the room, and the measuring signal 10 supplies control further to the ventilation equipment to boost the ventilation. In Fig. 3A is depicted another arrangement regarding placement of the measuring means 10 in the room space A. In this embodiment of the invention the measuring signal s has been disposed to pass in the part of the room or hall space A above the staying zone over separate reflectors and in such manner that from the trans¬ mitter means 11 a measuring signal s is sent over reflectors 13,14,15 to a receiver means 12 mounted on the same vertical wall 12. In Fig. 3B the room space of Fig. 3A has been shown as viewed from above, and it is seen from the figure that the measuring signal s has been disposed to run over the reflector 13 on the wall 40 to the wall 30 which is opposite to the transmitter means 11 of the measuring means 10, and from the reflector 14 there provided to the side wall 50, and over the reflector 15 there provided, to the receiver means 12. The advantage of this reflection arrangement is that an accurate average of the Impurities in the room Is obtained, as the measuring signal is arranged to criss-cross as many times as possible through the measuring space for achievement of an accurate enough mean result regarding the occurrence of the boundary layer and/or of Impurities. * F.ig. 3C depicts embodiments of the invention. In Fig. 3C are de¬ picted cases A and B. In case A two measuring means have been provided: measuring means 10' and 10''. The measuring means have been disposed at different heights In the room space and the measuring signals S ] _ and ≤2 have been arranged to run from one vertical wall of the room space over a reflector back to a receiver, and advantageously to a receiver means disposed in immediate con¬ junction of the respective transmitter means. The receiver and transmitter have been disposed to be located on the same vertical wall. In this embodiment, too, a plurality of reflectors may be used in order to obtain an accurate enough result of measurement. In case A, measuring means 10' and 10'' have been disposed sub¬ stantially in the region of occurrence of the impurity layer in the upper part of the rpom space, above the staying zone. The lower of the two measuring means, 10'', has been arranged to indi¬ cate that lowest limit below which the boundary layer must not extend, and the measuring means 10' has been arranged to indicate that upper limit above which the boundary layer need not go. Thus with the aid of the means 10' and 10'' the ventilation and the air entering the room are controlled so that the boundary layer has been arranged to be within a given range between the measuring means 10' and 10''. Since the impurity difference is great between the 10' measuring level and the 10'' measuring level, it is even easier to measure. In Fig. 3C is also displayed a case in which only one measuring means 10''' is used, which has been arranged to produce a measuring signal S3. When this single measuring means 10''' is used, the measuring means is likewise disposed above the staying zone, in the region of occurrence of the impurity layer. The measuring means 10''' may be disposed in the very highest part of the room space to indicate that upper limit above which the boundary layer need not reach. The measuring means 10''' may also be disposed to be located in the staying zone in such manner that it has been arranged to indicate the limit below which the boundary layer must not extend under any circumstances. In Fig. 3D is depicted another advantageous embodiment of the invention in which the measuring means 10 consists of two tempera¬ ture pick-ups 14 and 15 observing the occurrence of the boundary layer K. At least one first pick-up 14 is used, disposed in the upper part of the hall space, to measure the temperature (Tk) prevailing there, and at least one second pick-up 15 is used, disposed to measure the temperature ( Q ^) in the staying zone. The ventilation of the room space is controlled on the basis of the differential temperature Δt between the upper part of the room space and the staying zone in the room space, measured with the measuring means, i.e., measured by the pick-ups. This control is carried out in direct accordance with the differential temperature Δt, that is, when Δt increases, the amount of fresh air introduced in the room is increased, i.e., the displacement air quantity is increased; similarly, when the differential temperature Δt becomes less, such ventilation control is caused that the fresh air quantity introduced in the room becomes less. On the basis of the differen¬ tial temperature Δt a control signal S^ t is produced by which the air Q ] _ is controlled which the blower 50 forces into the room space A. In the procedure of the invention one or several transmitter means 11 and one or several receiver means 12 may be used, with which the measurement has been arranged to take place on different levels, as related to the room space height, whereby the impurity concen¬ tration and/or the impurity concentration differences between different levels are observed. In the procedure of the invention a pick-up indicating given im¬ purities, and specific impurities as desired, maybe used, •and which has been disposed to be located in or adjacent to the region of occurrence of the impurity boundary layer of the upper level of the staying zone in the room or hall space. As taught by the in¬ vention, said pick-up is disposed to measure the impurity concen¬ tration and/or humidity of the air at a given punctiform spot above the staying zone in the room or equivalent. As taught by the invention, the pick-up may be disposed to measure at that height in the room space above or at or below which the occurrence e.g. of smoke impurities is permitted, in which case depending on said positioning of the pick-up and on the values which the pick-up registers the location of the Impurity layer in the room space is controlled. In Fig. 4 is presented the use of an infrared signal in the venti¬ lation control procedure. The apparatus design has also been schematically depicted. In Fig. 4, a light source 17 sends out the infrared signal s , or a measuring signal s indicating occurrence of impurities, through a correlation cell and grey filter 18, through a reference means 19, and through a band-pass filter 20. into the room space A. After traversing the air space of the room A, the measuring signal s is received with a receiver means 12, and here with a special detector 21. The receiver means 12 comprises separately an elec¬ tronic unit processing the incoming signal. The reference unit 19 comprises a sample of the substance the occurrence of which in the room space one desires to measure. The result of measurement which is obtained is a so-called trans¬ mission spectrum, as a function of wavelength. In the process a reference signal spectrum as well as a measuring signal spectrum is produced, and the difference of the two spectra shows the part of the signal which has been absorbed by certain impurities in the air. The higher this absorption, the greater has been the amount of impurity particles in the air. With the apparatus arrangement of Fig. 4 the occurrence in the air of the room space of different impurities can be measured. It follows that with the apparatus arrangement of the invention it is possible to control the ventilation in dependence of the presence of given impurities in the room. For measuring signal s may be used both an ultrasonic signal, visible light, infrared light and any other partial range of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. In Fig. 5 the spectra of the reference signal and measuring signal are displayed, plotted over wavelength. The difference between the two spectra shows the measuring signal intensity absorbed by im¬ purities, as a function of wavelength; in other words: the higher the absorption of the measuring signal in the impurities, the greater is the difference in the spectral level of the reference signal and the measured spectral level. The ventilation process can be controlled on the basis of this difference. In an advan¬ tageous embodiment of the invention, which has not been shown by any figure, the occurrence of the boundary layer is measured in the part of the room or hall space outside the staying zone, using a separate pick-up indicating impurities, advantageously a ceramic pick-up. The pick-up may equally be a pick-up responding to humid¬ ity. Said pick-ups are disposed in the upper part of the staying zone in the room, in the region where the boundary layer occurs. 5 When the ceramic pick-up registers the presence of a certain amount of impurities, a loading means connected to the pick-up directs the action of the ventilation control apparatus. The measuring means may advantageously be a means producing radi- '" ation, advantageously a means producing electromagnetic radiation which produces measuring radiation within a wide frequency range. This radiation is received with a receiver means, and the receiver receiving said wide-band radiation may advantageously comprise means for examining a given radiation frequency range, whereby '^ with said means each air impurity can be separately examined. 0 25 30 35

Claims: Claims 1 1. A displacement ventilation control procedure, characterized in that the impurity and/or humidity concentration of the air con¬ taining impurities which accumulates in the part of the room or ^ hall space above the staying zone and/or their changes and/or their differences are .observed and the ventilation of said room or hall space is controlled in accordance therewith. 2. Ventilation control procedure according to claim 1, character¬ 0 ized in that the occurrence of the impurity boundary layer and/or the air humidity boundary layer is observed above the staying zone in the room space, and when the impurity boundary layer descends below a given limiting height the air flow entering the room is increased, and/or when the impurity boundary layer extends above a 5 given upper limit the amount of fresh air entering the room is reduced, herein being used a measuring means which has been disposed to observe the location of said boundary layer above the staying zone, whereby comparatively low absolute value measuring accuracy is required of the measuring means for implementing the control 0 process. 3. Ventilation control procedure according to claim 1, character¬ ized in that a measuring means (10) is used which has been disposed to produce a measuring signal (s) from a transmitter means (11) , 5 and said measuring signal being disposed to pass through the im¬ purities above the staying zone in the room space, to a receiver means (12) . 4. Procedure according to the preceding claim, characterized in 0 that the measuring signal is disposed to travel over at least one reflector before proceeding to the receiver means. 5. Procedure according to any one of the preceding claims, charac¬ terized in that the transmitter means (11) is disposed to produce and send out a measuring signal (s) substantially in that horizontal plane in the room space above, at or below which occurrence e.g. of a smoke impurity layer is permitted, the location of the impurity layer In the room space being controlled in dependence of said pick-up positioning and of the values which the pick-up registers. 6. Procedure according to any one of the preceding claims, charac¬ terized in that in the procedure are employed one or several trans¬ mitter means (11) and one or several receiver means (12) with which the measurement has been arranged to take place in different planes relative to the room height, the impurity concentration and/or the differences in Impurity concentration between different planes being observed. 7. Procedure according to any one of the preceding claims, charac¬ terized i " that for measuring signal (s) is used an infrared signal which Is disposed to run In the room space, and the absorption of said measuring signal by the impurities in the air being observed, and che ventilation being controlled on the basis of said absorp¬ tion. 8. Procedure according to any one of the preceding claims, charac¬ terized in that in the measuring process intensity measurement of the measuring signal is applied, the intensity of the measuring signal being measured above the staying zone. 9. Procedure according to any one of the preceding claims, charac¬ terized in that for measuring means (10) is used at least one first pick-up (14) disposed to measure the temperature in the upper part of the room or hall space and at least one second pick¬ up (15) disposed to measure the temperature in the staying zone of the room space or equivalent, the ventilation of the room space being controlled with the aid of the difference (Δt) of the tem¬ peratures measured by said pick-ups, the air flow introduced in the room being increased when said differential temperature (Δt) increases, respectively the amount of fresh air introduced In the room being reduced when said differential temperature (Δt) de¬ creases. 10. Procedure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the procedure is used a pick-up indicating given, and desired, impurities and which is disposed to be located in or adjacent to the region of occurrence of the impurity boundary layer in the upper part of the staying zone in the room or hall space. 11. Procedure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a measuring means is used which has been disposed to measure the impurity concentration and/or humidity of the air at a given punc- tiform spot above the staying zone in the room or equivalent, a measuring pick-up being advantageously used. 12. Procedure according to claim 11, characterized in that the measuring means (10), being a measuring pick-up, is disposed to measure at that height in the room space above, at or below which the occurrence e.g. of smoke impurity is permitted, the location of the impurity layer being controlled in dependence of said location of the pick-up and of the values registered by the pick-up. 13. Procedure according to one of the preceding claims 1 or 2, characterized in that a measuring means (10) is used which is disposed to send out radiation in various frequency ranges, a receiver means being provided by the aid of which is examined the occurrence in the air space above the staying zone in the room space of a given impurity, and which constitutes the object under examination, in the procedure each given frequency band of the radiation sent out with the measuring means (10) being examined, corresponding to a given impurity and its occurrence in the air space. 14. A ventilation control means, characterized in that it comprises a transmitter means (11) disposed to send out a measuring signal (s) into the room space (A), said measuring signal (s) being dis¬ posed to travel in the air in the room space and part of the measuring signal being arranged to be absorbed by the impurities in the air in the room space, and a receiver means (12) which indicates said absorption fraction, the ventilation of the room space being controlled according to the amount of impurity, in desired manner. 15. Means according to claim 14, characterized in that the control means comprises at least one reflector disposed to reflect the measuring signal (s) either directly to the receiver means or over one or several reflectors to the receiver means (12) . 16. Means according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the ventilation control means comprises a transmitter means (17) pro¬ ducing an infrared signal and a receiver means (21) receiving said signal (s) and which produces the spectra of the measuring and reference signals as a function of wavelength, the difference between the radiation levels of said spectra being used to indirectly control the ventilation process of the room space. 17. Means according to any one of the preceding claims 14-16, characterized in that the control means comprises at least one first temperature pick-up (14) disposed in the upper part of the room space and at least one second temperature pick-up .(15) disposed in the staying zone In the room, and that means have been separately provided for calculating the difference of the temperatures registered by said pick-ups, there being provided means by which the ventilation process of the room space is controlled on the basis of the differential temperature (Δt) thus found. 18. Means according to any one of the preceding claims 14-17, characterized in that the control means comprises a measuring pick-up measuring at a punctiform spot the humidity and/or the impurity concentration in the air space. 19. Means according to any one of the preceding claims 14-18, characterized In that the measuring means (10) is a radiation- producing means which produces measuring radiation, advantageously electromagnetic radiation within a wide frequency range, and that the means observing the boundary layer Is a receiver receiving the wide-band radiation sent out by the measuring means (10) and com¬ prising means for examining a given radiation frequency range, whereby with the aid of said means each impurity In the air can be separately examined.

Inventors: AALTO ERKKI, NIEMELAE MERTSI, PELLINEN TEUVO, AALTO, ERKKI, NIEMELAE, MERTSI, PELLINEN, TEUVO
Applicants: HALTON OY
Application year: 1988
Main classification: F24F11
IPC codes: F24F11