Negative Pressure Envelop for Controlled Environment Rooms

Abstract

A room insulation system, for preventing leakage of contaminants from an insulated room to its surroundings and/or from the surroundings into the insulated room, the insulated room being enclosed by any of a floor, a ceiling and one or more walls, the system comprising—an inner panel, disposed parallel to, and a given distance from, a corresponding floor, ceiling or wall, forming an insulation space between them, andan air extraction system, including a fan and a filter;wherein the insulation spaces are fluidly interconnected, to form a Negative Pressure Envelope (NPE),the intake port of the air extraction subsystem is fluidly connected to the NPE and the exhaust port of the air extraction subsystem is fluidly connected to the atmosphere andwherein the air extraction subsystem is configured and operative to extract air from the NPE into the atmosphere while maintaining an air pressure within the NPE substantially below the atmospheric pressure and the air pressure within the insulated room.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A room insulation system, for preventing leakage of contaminants from an insulated room to its surroundings and/or from the surroundings into the insulated room, the insulated room being enclosed by any of a floor, a ceiling and one or more walls, the system comprising—
 at least one inner panel, disposed parallel to, and a given distance from, a corresponding one of said floor, ceiling or wall, forming an insulation space between them, and 
 an air extraction system, including a fan and a filter and having an intake port and an exhaust port; 
 
       wherein one or more of said insulation spaces are fluidly interconnected, to form a Negative Pressure Envelope (NPE), 
       the intake port of the air extraction subsystem is fluidly connected to the NPE and the exhaust port of the air extraction subsystem is fluidly connected to the atmosphere or any other surrounding space and 
       wherein the air extraction subsystem is configured and operative to extract air from the NPE into the atmosphere while maintaining an air pressure within the NPE substantially below the atmospheric pressure and the air pressure within the insulated room. 
     
     
         2 . An insulated room, structured as an enclosure having any of a floor, a ceiling and one or more walls, comprising an air extraction system, including a fan and a filter and having an intake port and an exhaust port;
 wherein any of said floor, ceiling or wall is structured as two mutually parallel panels, a given distance apart and defining an insulation space between them,   wherein one or more of said insulation spaces are fluidly interconnected, to form a Negative Pressure Envelope (NPE),   wherein the intake port of the air extraction subsystem is fluidly connected to the NPE and the exhaust port of the air extraction subsystem is fluidly connected to the atmosphere or any other surrounding space and   wherein the air extraction subsystem is configured and operative to extract air from the NPE into the atmosphere while maintaining an air pressure within the NPE substantially below the atmospheric pressure and the air pressure within the insulated room.   
     
     
         3 . The insulated room as in  claim 2 , further comprising an air refreshing- and filtering system in fluid communication with space inside the room and with the atmosphere. 
     
     
         4 . A method for preventing leakage of contaminants from an insulated room to its surroundings and from the surroundings into the insulated room, the insulated room being enclosed by any of a floor, a ceiling and one or more walls, the method comprising—
 providing at least one inner panel and disposing it parallel to, and a given distance from, a corresponding one of said floor, ceiling or wall, to form an insulation space between them; 
 optionally fluidly interconnect a plurality of the insulation spaces; 
 configuring any one insulation space or said fluidly interconnected plurality of insulation spaces into a Negative Pressure Envelope (NPE), wherein the air pressure may be maintained below the atmospheric pressure; 
 providing an air extraction system, including a fan and a filter and having an intake port and an exhaust port and disposing the air extraction system so that its intake port is fluidly connected to the NPE and its exhaust port is fluidly connected to the atmosphere or any other surrounding space; 
 
       operating said fan so as to extract air from the NPE into the atmosphere and to maintain the air pressure within the NPE substantially below the atmospheric pressure and the air pressure within the insulated room. 
     
     
         5 . The room insulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the air extraction system further includes a pressure sensor, disposed within the NPE, and a controller, electrically connected to the pressure sensor and to the fan,
 the fan, the controller and the pressure sensor being cooperative in said maintaining of the air pressure within the NPE.   
     
     
         6 . The insulated room of  claim 2 , wherein the air extraction system further includes a pressure sensor, disposed within the NPE, and a controller, electrically connected to the pressure sensor and to the fan,
 the fan, the controller and the pressure sensor being cooperative in said maintaining of the air pressure within the NPE.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising—
 providing an air pressure sensor and a controller, electrically connecting the controller to said sensor and to said fan and 
 
       causing the controller to control the operating speed of the fan according to a signal from said sensor.