On Tuesday, the U.S. Army was issued a 20-year utility patent for indoor ventilation modeling and control software for reducing the concentration of contaminants like viruses. The patented HVAC system was invented by Mark D. Ginsberg from the Construction Engineering Research Lab in Illinois. In August 2020 he co-authored a new technical report, and believes his technology can lessen the severity of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
He writes, “To enhance Army resilience, we conclude by suggesting further development of human-preset, sensor-controlled systems capable of near-real-time adaptation to particle counts. For example, the laser imaging technique of Fig. 2 could inform the HVAC system if outside or recirculated air is currently cleaner at the most vulnerable particle sizes.”
Christie Bell, a certified licensing professional at TechLink, says the technology has strong potential as a Covid-19 mitigating system according to the report.
Benefits of the iHVAC system include:
- Near-real-time actionable data on system breaches and the introduction of potentially harmful contaminants into a structure’s HVAC system
- Precise calculations of airborne pollutant flow paths and recommendations on immediate solutions to keep occupants safe
- Efficient computing and comparing of multiple possibilities to optimize response and outcomes
“Generally speaking, a structure’s HVAC system is primarily responsible for distributing air throughout the structure,” according to the new patent. “Unfortunately, airborne contaminants may be spread along with the air. Some such contaminants may be deliberately introduced by acts of terrorism as the anthrax attacks of 2001 illustrated. Even in peacetime, HVAC systems may spread the chemical or biological contaminants that contribute to ‘sick building syndrome.'”
Source: TechLink
