Indoor environmental parameter balancing apparatus and method to do the same

Abstract

An indoor environmental balancing apparatus and method for a structure that includes a plenum, a plurality of openings disposed within the plenum and in communication with a plurality of indoor spaces, a fan in communication with the plenum and the plurality of openings, a plurality of sensors disposed within the plurality of indoor spaces and configured to measure an environmental parameter of the plurality of indoor spaces, and a controller configured to monitor the plurality of sensors and respond to a differential in the measured environmental parameter between two or more of the plurality of indoor spaces by operating the fan to move air between the plurality of indoor spaces to bring the differential into equilibrium.

1 . An indoor environmental balancing apparatus for a structure, comprising: 
 a plenum;    a plurality of openings disposed within the plenum and in communication with a plurality of indoor spaces;    a fan in communication with the plenum and the plurality of openings;    a plurality of sensors disposed within the plurality of indoor spaces and configured to measure an environmental parameter of the plurality of indoor spaces; and    a controller configured to monitor the plurality of sensors and respond to a differential in the measured environmental parameter between two or more of the plurality of indoor spaces by operating the fan to move air between the plurality of indoor spaces to bring the differential into equilibrium.    
   
   
       2 . The indoor environmental balancing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the fan is a bi-directional fan.  
   
   
       3 . The indoor environmental balancing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a supplemental ventilation system.  
   
   
       4 . The indoor environmental balancing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the plenum comprises a L-Shaped unit disposed within it, wherein the L-Shaped unit includes one of the plurality of openings that are in communication with the plurality of indoor spaces.  
   
   
       5 . The indoor environmental balancing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the plenum comprises a T-Shaped unit having one of the plurality of openings disposed within it, wherein the T-Shaped unit is configured to permit air to both bypass the opening and flow out of the opening into one of the plurality of indoor spaces.  
   
   
       6 . The indoor environmental balancing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to measure temperature.  
   
   
       7 . The indoor environmental balancing apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to respond to a differential in temperature between two or more of the plurality of indoor spaces by drawing air into the plenum from one of the plurality of indoor spaces having a cooler temperature relative to at least one of the plurality of indoor spaces and exhausting the cooler air from the plenum into the at least one of the plurality of indoor spaces such that the differential in temperature between the two or more of the plurality of indoor spaces is equalized.  
   
   
       8 . The indoor environmental balancing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the structure's heating and cooling system is in a heating mode or cooling mode.  
   
   
       9 . The indoor environmental balancing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein if the controller determines the structure's heating and cooling system is in the heating mode, the controller will switch the direction of the fan such that when the controller monitors a differential in temperature between two or more of the plurality of indoor spaces, the controller is configured to respond to the differential in temperature by drawing air into the plenum from one of the plurality of indoor spaces having a warmer temperature relative to at least one of the plurality of indoor spaces and exhausting the warmer air from the plenum into the at least one of the plurality of indoor spaces such that the differential in temperature between the two or more of the plurality of indoor spaces is equalized.  
   
   
       10 . The indoor environmental balancing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a lateral duct connected between the plenum to the plurality of openings.  
   
   
       11 . The indoor environmental balancing apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the lateral duct is flexible duct.  
   
   
       12 . The indoor environmental balancing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the plenum comprises a cold air duct and a supply duct of an existing heating and cooling system of the structure.  
   
   
       13 . The indoor environmental balancing apparatus according to  claim 12 , further comprising a bypass duct connecting the cold air duct to the supply duct such that air may bypass the heating and cooling system.  
   
   
       14 . The indoor environmental balancing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the fan is disposed within the bypass duct and the system includes motorized dampers connected to the controller.  
   
   
       15 . An indoor temperature balancing apparatus for a structure, comprising: 
 a plenum;    first and second openings disposed within the plenum and in communication with respective first and second indoor spaces of a structure;    a fan in communication with the plenum and the first and second openings;    a first sensor disposed within the first indoor space and configured to measure a first temperature of the first indoor space;    a second sensor disposed within the second indoor space and configured to measure a second temperature of the second indoor space; and    a controller configured to monitor the first and second sensors and respond to a differential between the first and second temperatures by operating the fan to move air between the first and second indoor spaces to bring the differential between the first and second temperatures into equilibrium.    
   
   
       16 . The indoor temperature balancing apparatus for a structure according to  claim 15 , wherein the first and second indoor spaces comprise a first level of a home and a second level of a home.  
   
   
       17 . The indoor temperature balancing apparatus for a structure according to  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured such that if the controller determines that the structure's heating and cooling system is in the cooling mode and that the first temperature is less than the second temperature, the controller will operate the fan to draw air into the plenum from the first level, transport the air through the plenum, and exhaust the air from the plenum into the second level.  
   
   
       18 . The indoor temperature balancing apparatus for a structure according to  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured such that if the controller determines that the structure's heating and cooling system is in the heating mode and that the first temperature is less than the second temperature, the controller will operate the fan to draw air into the plenum from the second level, transport the air through the plenum, and exhaust the air from the plenum into the first level.  
   
   
       19 . The indoor temperature balancing apparatus for a structure according to  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a third opening disposed within the plenum and in communication with the fan and a third indoor space of the structure; and    a third sensor disposed within the third indoor space and configured to measure a third temperature of the third space;    wherein the controller is configured to monitor the first, second, and third sensors and respond to a differential between one or more of the temperatures measured by the first, second, and third sensors by operating the fan to move air between the first, second, and third indoor spaces to bring the differential between the one or more temperatures into equilibrium.    
   
   
       20 . A method of balancing the indoor temperature for a structure, comprising: 
 monitoring temperatures of a first indoor space and a second indoor space;    detecting a differential in the temperatures between the first and second indoor spaces;    drawing air into a plenum from the first indoor space;    transporting the air within the plenum;    exhausting the air from the plenum into the second indoor space;    detecting that the differential in the temperatures between the first and second indoor spaces is equalized; and    stopping the drawing of the air into the plenum from the first space.