Smart Controls for Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems in an Era of COVID-19

Existing HVAC system design may be contributing to the spread of viruses such as COVID-19 with transmission through ventilation systems. Many HVAC systems recirculate up to 85% of the air, can have cross-contamination of the exhaust air stream with the supply air stream and virus transmission is more likely to occur when the relative humidity is outside of the recommend range of 40-60%. There is also a need to reduce energy consumption of HVAC systems producing greenhouse gases causing climate change. This project will explore the opportunity for designing a smart HVAC controller that uses sensors, algorithms and possibly artificial intelligence to control the operation of a Dedicated Outdoor Air System (DOAS) providing 100% fresh air to building occupants for healthy Indoor Air Quality in a way that minimizes energy consumption.

Faculty Supervisor:

Lexuan Zhong

Student:

Yousef Alipouri

Partner:

Oxygen8

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Other

University:

University of Alberta