System and method for garage ventilation control logic

Abstract

A software implementation and method for garage ventilation control logic to intelligently modulate the rate of speed of a plurality of garage fan motors in an enclosed commercial parking garage structure. The savings are primarily driven by the known cubic relationship between fan power draw and fan speed, whereby fans operating at lower speeds will draw much less power than operating at higher speeds, taking advantage of the highly non-linear relationship between the two.

1 . A method performed by one or more devices employed in building automation control to optimize the energy savings in the operation of primary exhaust and supply fan motor units and secondary fan motor units designed to provide ventilation in enclosed parking garages, comprising:
 a. Defining a specific area in an enclosed space as a gas measurement zone;   b. Defining a predetermined measurement time and dividing said gas measurement time into equal time intervals;   c. Setting the base fan motor speed at a minimum base speed value;   d. Setting a minimum gas concentration value;   e. Setting a maximum gas concentration value;   f. Receiving input data primarily in the form of a gas concentration value from a plurality of gas sensors located in said gas measurement zone at each time interval;   g. Calculating the average gas concentration value of all the input data of said gas concentration values received from the plurality of gas sensors located in said measurement zone at each time interval;   h. Comparing all the average gas concentration values calculated at each time interval;   i. Taking and setting the highest value of said average gas concentration values as the high-average gas concentration value;   j. Comparing the minimum gas concentration value with the high-average gas concentration value;   k. Maintaining the fan motor speed at its minimum base speed value when the high-average concentration value is less than or equal to the minimum gas concentration value;   l. Adjusting the fan motor speed from its minimum base speed value by increasing the fan motor speed value at a specific percent increment value for every additional measured increment value of the high-average gas concentration value above the minimum gas concentration value until the high-average gas concentration value reaches the maximum gas concentration value;   m. Operating fan-motor units at a constant speed of 100 percent of full-motor capacity when the high-average gas concentration value is equal to or greater than the maximum gas concentration threshold value.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined measurement time is set at a value between 60 seconds and 180 seconds. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas is Carbon monoxide (CO). 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas is Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ). 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the maximum gas concentration value is set at value between 25.0 ppm and 45.0 ppm for CO. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method performed by one or more devices employed in building automation control to optimize the energy savings in the operation of primary exhaust and supply fan motor units and secondary fan motor units designed to provide ventilation in enclosed parking garages, comprising:
 a. Defining a specific area in an enclosed space as a gas measurement zone;   b. Defining a predetermined measurement time and dividing said measurement time into equal time intervals;   c. Setting the base fan ventilation rate at a minimum base ventilation rate value;   d. Setting a minimum gas concentration value;   e. Setting a maximum gas concentration value;   f. Receiving input data primarily in the form of a gas concentration value from a plurality of gas sensors located in said measurement zone at each time interval;   g. Calculating the average gas concentration value of all the input data of said gas concentration values received from the plurality of gas sensors located in said gas measurement zone at each time interval;   h. Comparing all the average gas concentration values calculated at each time interval;   i. Taking and setting the highest value of said average gas concentration values as the high-average gas concentration value;   j. Comparing the minimum gas concentration value with the high-average gas concentration value;   k. Maintaining the fan ventilation rate at its minimum ventilation rate value when the high-average concentration value is less than or equal to the minimum gas concentration value;   l. Adjusting the ventilation rate from its minimum ventilation rate value by increasing the ventilation rate value at a specific ventilation rate increment value for every additional measured increment value of high-average gas concentration value above the minimum gas concentration value until the high-average gas concentration value reaches the maximum gas concentration value;   m. Operating fan-motor units at a constant speed of their maximum ventilation rate capacity when the high-average gas concentration value is equal or greater than the maximum gas concentration threshold value.   
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the gas is Carbon monoxide (CO). 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the minimum gas concentration value is set at a value between 4.0 ppm and 24.0 ppm for CO. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the maximum gas concentration value is set at value between 25.0 ppm and 45.0 ppm for CO. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the maximum gas concentration value is set at a value between 5.0 ppm and 10.0 ppm for NO 2 . 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . One or more devices employed in building automation control storing instructions that are executable to perform operations comprising:
 a. Defining a specific area in an enclosed space into a gas measurement zone;   b. Defining a predetermined measurement time and dividing said measurement time into equal intervals;   c. Setting the base fan motor speed at a minimum base speed value;   d. Setting a minimum gas concentration value;   e. Setting a maximum gas concentration value;   f. Receiving input data primarily in the form of a gas concentration from a plurality of gas sensors located in a measurement zone at each time interval;   g. Calculating the average gas concentration value of all the input data of said gas concentration values received from the plurality of gas sensors located in said gas measurement zone at each time interval;   h. Comparing all the average gas concentration values calculated at each time interval;   i. Taking and setting the highest value of said average gas concentration values as the high-average gas concentration value;   j. Comparing the minimum gas concentration value with the high-average gas concentration value;   k. Maintaining the fan motor speed at its minimum base speed when the high-average concentration value is less than or equal to the minimum gas concentration value;   l. Adjusting the fan speed from its minimum threshold speed by increasing the fan motor speed at a specific increment for every additional 1 ppm of high-average gas concentration value above the minimum gas concentration value until the high-average gas concentration value reaches the maximum gas concentration value;   m. Operating fan-motor units at a constant speed of 100% of full-motor capacity when the high-average gas concentration value is equal or greater than the maximum gas concentration threshold value.   
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The one or more building automation control devices in  claim 27 , wherein the gas is Carbon monoxide (CO). 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The one or more building automation control devices in  claim 27 , wherein the minimum gas concentration value is set at a value between 4.0 ppm and 24.0 ppm for CO. 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . The one or more building automation control devices in  claim 27 , wherein the maximum gas concentration value is set at value between 25.0 ppm and 45.0 ppm for CO. 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . One or more devices employed in building automation control storing instructions that are executable to perform operations comprising:
 a. Defining a specific area in an enclosed space into a measurement zone;   b. Defining a predetermined measurement time and dividing said measurement time into equal intervals;   c. Setting the base fan ventilation rate at a minimum base ventilation rate value;   d. Setting a minimum gas concentration value;   e. Setting a maximum gas concentration value;   f. Receiving input data primarily in the form of a gas concentration value measured from a plurality of gas sensors located in a measurement zone;   g. Calculating the average gas concentration value of all the input data of said gas concentration values received from the plurality of gas sensors located in said measurement zone at each time interval;   h. Comparing all the average gas concentration values calculated at each time interval;   i. Taking and setting the highest value of said average gas concentration values as the high-average gas concentration value;   j. Comparing the minimum gas concentration value with the high-average gas concentration value;   k. Maintaining the fan motor speed at its minimum base speed when the high-average concentration value is less than or equal to the minimum gas concentration value;   l. Adjusting the fan speed from its minimum base speed value by increasing the ventilation rate value at a specific increment for every additional measured increment value of the high-average gas concentration value above the minimum gas concentration value until the high-average gas concentration value reaches the maximum gas concentration value;   m. Operating fan-motor units at a constant speed of their maximum ventilation rate capacity when the high-average gas concentration value is equal or greater than the maximum gas concentration value.   
     
     
         41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . The one or more building automation control devices in  claim 40 , wherein the gas is Carbon monoxide (CO). 
     
     
         43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . The one or more building automation control devices in  claim 40 , wherein the minimum gas concentration value is set at a value between 4.0 ppm and 24.0 ppm for CO. 
     
     
         47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . The one or more building automation control devices in  claim 40 , wherein the maximum gas concentration value is set at value between 25.0 ppm and 45.0 ppm for CO. 
     
     
         49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . (canceled)