Cleanroom control system and method

Abstract

The control system for controlling air volume to maintain a desired concentration of airborne contamination in a cleanroom supplied by a HVAC system being operative to supply treated air to the cleanroom includes a sensor for a concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles in real time or near real time; and a processor for comparing the sensed concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles against the desired concentration of airborne contamination. At least one control signal is outputted to the HVAC system based on the comparison.

1 . A control system for controlling air volume to maintain a desired concentration of airborne contamination in a cleanroom supplied by a HVAC system being operative to supply treated air to the cleanroom, the control system comprising:
 means for sensing a concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles in real time or near real time; and   means for comparing the sensed concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles against the desired concentration of airborne contamination and outputting at least one control signal to the HVAC system based on the comparison.   
     
     
         2 . The control system as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a cleanroom having one or more zones or rooms, each of the zones or rooms having a respective desired concentration of airborne contamination. 
     
     
         3 . The control system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the desired concentration of airborne contamination is specified by the number of non-viable particles per cubic meter having a particle size of equal to or greater than 0.1 μm, 0.2 μm, 0.3 μm, 0.5 μm, 1 μm and 5 μm in diameter. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The control system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the HVAC system comprises at least one HVAC air handling unit (AHU) supplying treated air through a ducting system, and one or more constant air volume devices and/or one or more variable air volume devices positioned in the ducting and generally associated with each respective zone or room of the cleanroom. 
     
     
         6 . The control system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air treatment is selected from a group comprised of: filtration, ventilation, heating, cooling, humidification, pressurisation, occupancy, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The control system as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising means for secondary sensing an environmental condition and/or process condition and/or HVAC system condition in real time or near real time. 
     
     
         9 . The control system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the secondary sensing means further comprises one or more sensors selected from a group being comprised of: temperature sensor, humidity sensor, pressure sensor, differential pressure sensor, airborne molecular contamination sensor, contaminant deposition sensor, air flow sensor, proximity sensor, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The control system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the processing means receiving energy price data and/or usage data. 
     
     
         11 . The control system as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the processing means receiving the sensed environmental condition and/or process condition and/or HVAC system condition and/or energy price data and/or usage data and outputting one or more secondary control signals to the HVAC system. 
     
     
         12 . The control system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the one or more secondary control signals are outputted without causing the sensed concentration of particles to depart from the desired concentration of airborne contamination. 
     
     
         13 . The control system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the desired concentration of airborne contamination and/or energy price data and/or usage data being initially user configurable. 
     
     
         14 . The control system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one control signal to the HVAC system controlling the air volume supplied to the cleanroom. 
     
     
         15 . The control system as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the one or more secondary control signals controlling the filtration, ventilation, heating, cooling, humidification, pressurisation, occupancy, and combinations thereof supplied to the cleanroom. 
     
     
         16 . The control system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the processing means comprises a model predictive control (MPC) algorithm. 
     
     
         17 . The control system as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the model predictive control algorithm being able to self-adapt. 
     
     
         18 . The control system as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a model component that receives a HVAC system operating condition from extrinsic data analysis and which models HVAC system behaviour; and   means for receiving the modelled HVAC system behaviour and issuing a control action based on the modelled HVAC system behaviour and a cost minimizing function and constraints.   
     
     
         19 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The control system as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising means for enabling communication and/or integration and/or interoperability with third party building management systems (BMSs). 
     
     
         22 . The control system as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising means for monitoring the energy performance of the cleanroom and/or particle contamination concentration within the cleanroom. 
     
     
         23 . A method of controlling air volume to maintain a desired concentration of airborne contamination in a cleanroom supplied by a HVAC system being operative to supply treated air to the cleanroom, comprising the steps of:
 sensing a concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles in real time or near real time;   comparing the sensed concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles against the desired concentration of airborne contamination; and   outputting at least one control signal to the HVAC system based on the comparison.   
     
     
         24 . A computer program product for controlling air volume to maintain a desired concentration of airborne contamination in a cleanroom supplied by a HVAC system being operative to supply treated air to the cleanroom, comprising:
 computer program means for sensing a concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles in real time or near real time;   computer program means for comparing the sensed concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles against the desired concentration of airborne contamination; and   computer program means for outputting at least one control signal to the HVAC system based on the comparison.   
     
     
         25 - 27 . (canceled)