SIREN - smart ventilation for infection risk mitigation and HVAC energy efficiency: a case study amid the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for effective ventilation control in public buildings. This study develops and evaluates a smart ventilation control algorithm (SIREN) that dynamically adjusts zone and system-level HVAC operation to maintain an acceptable COVID-19 infection risk and HV...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of building performance simulation 2023-11, Vol.16 (6), p.797-825
Main Authors: Pang, Zhihong, Lu, Xing, Hu, Pingfan, O'Neill, Zheng, Wang, Qingsheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air flow
Algorithms
Control theory
COVID-19
demand-controlled ventilation
Energy consumption
energyplus co-simulation
healthy buildings
infection risk mitigation
Public buildings
Real time operation
Risk management
Smart ventilation
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Summary:The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for effective ventilation control in public buildings. This study develops and evaluates a smart ventilation control algorithm (SIREN) that dynamically adjusts zone and system-level HVAC operation to maintain an acceptable COVID-19 infection risk and HVAC energy efficiency. SIREN uses real-time building operation data and Trim & Respond control logic to determine zone primary and system outdoor airflow rates. An EnergyPlus and CONTAM co-simulation framework was developed to assess its performance across various control scenarios and US climate zones. Results show that SIREN can flexibly control infection risk within a customized threshold (e.g. 3%) for every zone, while traditional controls cannot. At the building level, SIREN's HVAC energy consumption is comparable to a fixed 70% outdoor airflow fraction scenario, while its infection risk is lower than the 100% outdoor airflow scenario, illustrating its potential for safe and energy-efficient HVAC operation during pandemics.
ISSN:1940-1493
1940-1507
DOI:10.1080/19401493.2023.2208558