Adaptive ventilation system

Abstract

An adaptive ventilation system directs air within an environment. The system includes vents with flaps configured to be progressively actuated to redirect air from the vent into the environment at a different angle and speed. The vents each include a processing core and are in communication with a plurality of sensors and a central hub. At least one return is configured to control air flow from the environment into a return duct. The return includes a processing core and is in communication with a plurality of sensors and the central hub.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An adaptive ventilation system for directing air within at least one space in an environment comprising:
 at least one vent configured to control a volume and direction of air flow from a ventilation duct and into a zone within one of the spaces, each vent including a processing core and a plurality of flaps configured to be progressively opened by at least one actuator, wherein the flaps are curved to redirect air from said ventilation duct into one of the spaces in the environment at a different angle depending on a degree to which the flaps are progressively opened;   at least one return configured to control a volume of air flow from one of the spaces into a return duct, each return including a processing core; and   a plurality of sensors in electrical communication with the vents and returns,   wherein:   the at least one vent controls the volume and direction of air flow between a ventilation duct and a zone within one of the spaces based on data from the sensors; and   the at least one return controls the volume of air flow from one of the spaces into the return duct based on data from the sensors.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each vent includes a gate configured to be progressively opened by at least one actuator to control a volume of air from a ventilation duct into said vent. 
     
     
         3 . An adaptive ventilation system for directing air within at least one space in an environment comprising:
 at least one vent, each vent including a processing core;   at least one return, each return including a processing core; and   a plurality of sensors in electrical communication with the at least one vent and the at least one return,   wherein:   each vent is configured to control a volume and direction of air flow from a ventilation duct and into a zone within one of the spaces; and   each return is configured to control a volume of air flow from one of the spaces into a return duct.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein each vent comprises a plurality of internal sensors and each processing core of each vent communicates with a plurality of external sensors. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein each return comprises a plurality of internal sensors and each processing core of each return communicates with a plurality of external sensors, each return configured to control the volume of air flow from one of the spaces into a return duct based on data received from the internal and external sensors. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the returns and vents are configured to communicate to set a priority for a plurality of zones in at least one of the spaces for one or more of the following: heating; cooling; and dehumidification. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the vents and returns are each configured to receive information from at least one of the plurality of sensors and adapt a volume or a direction of air flow therethrough based on a desired setting. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the vents and returns are further configured to adapt the volume or the direction of air flow therethrough based on past data processed by machine learning and deep learning algorithms. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the desired settings are based on one or more of the following: user input; or an ASHRAE table of temperature settings for categories of spaces. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising at least one air exchanger configured to control a volume of air flow between two spaces within the environment. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the internal sensors for at least one vent include: a temperature sensor; a humidity sensor; a barometric pressure sensor; an infrared temperature sensor; a motion sensor; an ambient light sensor; and a proximity sensor; and   the external sensors for at least one vent include: a vibration sensor; an air speed sensor; an air particulate sensor; a CO2 sensor; a CO sensor; a gas sensor; a temperature sensor;   a humidity sensor; and a pressure sensor.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising a processing hub in electronic communication with the vents and returns, the processing hub configured to manage communications, and provide data between, the vents and returns. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the processing hub is further in electronic communication with a cloud server. 
     
     
         14 . A vent for directing air from a ventilation duct into an environment comprising:
 a plurality of flaps configured to be progressively opened by at least one actuator, wherein the flaps are curved to redirect air from the ventilation duct into the environment at a different angle depending on a degree to which the flaps are progressively opened.   
     
     
         15 . The vent of  claim 14 , wherein the flaps are one of: substantially semi-circular shaped; or arcuate shaped. 
     
     
         16 . The vent of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of flaps includes at least four flaps arranged around a central section of the vent. 
     
     
         17 . The vent of  claim 16 , wherein the central section includes an ASHRAE table of temperature settings for different types or categories of spaces and a removable attached processing core for controlling the vent or a return, the central section and processing core coupling via a push-and-lock mechanism. 
     
     
         18 . The vent of  claim 13 , wherein the flaps are configured to each direct air flow in a different direction from the other flaps. 
     
     
         19 . The vent of  claim 18 , wherein the vent is oriented along an x-y plane and each of the flaps is configured to direct air flow in the direction of the x-y plane at a substantially 90 degree angle. 
     
     
         20 . The vent of  claim 14 , wherein:
 each flap forms a channel between said flap and a body of the vent for passing air from the ventilation duct into the environment, at least one cross-section of the channel being defined entirely between a body of the vent and an extension of the flap; and   the flaps are configured such that actuating each flap causes the extension to move closer to the vent body, thereby narrowing the cross-section of the channel defined entirely between the body of the vent and the extension of the flap, thereby increasing a speed of any air passing therethrough.