Air conditioning system and method

Abstract

Aspects of embodiments relate to an air conditioning system for generating a controlled environment in a room, the AC system comprising one or more processors and one or more memories to cause the system to perform the following: sensing one or more characteristics of a condition of a room; providing a sensor output which is descriptive of the one or more sensed characteristics of the room; analyzing the sensor output to yield an analysis result; and selectively controlling by a controller, based on the analysis result, for example, an output airstream velocity of the plurality of room blowers of the AC system which are arranged such that a lower plenum of the room is in parallel downstream fluid communication relative to the plurality of room blowers.

1 . An air conditioning (AC) system for treating air and removing contaminants from a room having an upper and a lower plenum airspace, the AC system comprising:
 a controller;   a plurality of room blowers that are selectively controllable by the controller;   at least one filter which is arranged downstream and in fluid communication of a blowing direction of the plurality of room blowers; and   at least one sensor that is operable to provide a sensor output descriptive of a room condition,   wherein the controller receives the sensor output and selectively controls, based on the received sensor output, the plurality of room blowers such to obtain desired room blower output airstream characteristics.   
     
     
         2 . The AC system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is operable to detect presence of a person in the room and further operable to track movement of the person in the room. 
     
     
         3 . The AC system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is operable to provide a sensor output descriptive of a region of increased risk of contamination (IRC) in the lower airspace plenum. 
     
     
         4 . The AC system of  claim 3 , wherein the controller controls an airstream velocity generated by the plurality of room blowers such to remove contaminants from the IRC region. 
     
     
         5 . The AC system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the airstream velocity generated by the plurality of room blowers to create an isolation space around a person located in the lower plenum airspace, wherein the isolation space includes significantly less contaminants than then a remainder cavity of the lower plenum airspace of the room. 
     
     
         6 . The AC system of  claim 1 , wherein the room comprises further comprising an upper and lower airspace plenum, and a main blower unit, wherein the plurality of room blowers are arranged in parallel downstream fluid communication relative to a main blower unit which blows air into the upper airspace plenum. 
     
     
         7 . The AC system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more return airducts which fluidly couples the lower plenum airspace with the upper airspace plenum. 
     
     
         8 . The AC system of  claim 6 , wherein a flow rate that can be provided by the main blower unit is lower than a combined flow rate that can be provided by the plurality of room blowers. 
     
     
         9 . The AC system of  claim 7 , wherein during operation of the main blower unit and the plurality of room blowers, a pressure difference is created between the upper and the lower airspace plenum, wherein the pressure difference causes circulation of air in room at a significantly higher rate than at a rate that would be obtained if the AC system included only the only the main blower unit. 
     
     
         10 . A method for controlling, by an air conditioning system, an environment in a room having an upper and a lower plenum airspace, the method comprising:
 sensing one or more characteristics of a condition of a room;   providing a sensor output which is descriptive of the one or more sensed characteristics of the room;   analyzing the sensor output to yield an analysis result; and   selectively controlling, based on the analysis result, a plurality of room blowers by a controller to obtain a desired output airstream velocity,   wherein the plurality of room blowers is arranged such that a lower plenum of the room is in parallel downstream fluid communication relative to the plurality of room blowers.   
     
     
         11 . An AC system for generating a controlled environment in a room, the system comprising one or more processors and one or more memories to cause the system to perform the following:
 sensing one or more characteristics of a condition of a room;   providing a sensor output which is descriptive of the one or more sensed characteristics of the room;   analyzing the sensor output to yield an analysis result; and   selectively controlling by a controller, based on the analysis result, an output airstream velocity of a plurality of room blowers which are arranged such that the lower plenum of the room is in parallel downstream fluid communication relative to the plurality of room blowers.   
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The AC system of  claim 1 , wherein a room condition comprises a characteristic of one or more objects located in the room. 
     
     
         16 . The AC system of  claim 7 , wherein air is withdrawn via the one or more airducts from the room by creating a relative overpressure in the room and/or through controlled ventilation. 
     
     
         17 . The AC system of  claim 7 , wherein the number of return airducts corresponds to the number of room blowers. 
     
     
         18 . The AC system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes one of the following: an environmental sensor, a flow sensor, a physiological sensor for measuring a characteristic of an object located in the room, a camera, an optical sensor, a receiver antenna operative to estimate signal strength received from a mobile device, a magnetic field sensor, an active or passive thermal imaging sensor, a wearable inertial sensor for sensing movement of an object located in the room, or any combination of the aforesaid. 
     
     
         19 . The AC system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is operable to track movement of an object in the room to operable the room blowers such to reduce the risk of hospital staff-patient cross contamination. 
     
     
         20 . The AC system of  claim 9 , wherein the dynamic air pressure that is provided by the main blower unit is lower than a combined dynamic air pressure that is provided by the plurality of room blowers, such that the plurality of blowers generate a negative pressure in the upper airspace plenum. 
     
     
         21 . The AC system of  claim 1 , further comprising a single-door arrangement for creating a passage between the room and an area outside the room, such that when the at least one sensor senses an action that creates a fluid communication between the room and the area outside the room, suction is applied such that creating the fluid communication does not adversely affect the level of contamination outside and/or inside the room. 
     
     
         22 . The AC system of  claim 21 , wherein the suction is achieved by reversing blower direction of at least one of the plurality of room blowers.