Air pressure control system and method

Abstract

A pressurization control system configured to regulate air pressure with a space includes an air supply source fluidly coupled to a damper, a room controller configured to provide a control signal to the damper. The room controller includes a flow controller configured to generate a flow feedback signal, and a pressure controller configured to generate a pressure feedback signal, wherein the room controller is configured to receive flow and pressure feedback signals and generate the control signal based on one or more of the received flow and pressure feedback signals.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Additional features and advantages of the present embodiments are described in, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description and the figures.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a laboratory in a first airflow configuration that utilizes the pressure control system disclosed herein;

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the laboratory in a second airflow configuration that utilizes the pressure control system disclosed herein;

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a control scheme that may be utilized by a controller in one example; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a detailed block diagram of the control scheme shown in FIG. 3.

Claims

1. A pressurization control system configured to regulate air pressure within a space, the system comprising: an air supply source fluidly coupled to a damper;a room controller configured to provide an incremental control signal to the damper, the room controller includes: a flow controller configured to generate a flow feedback signal; anda pressure controller configured to generate a pressure feedback signal;wherein the room controller is operable to receive flow and pressure feedback signals and generate the incremental control signal as a function of the received flow feedback signal, pressure feedback signal, or both of the signals.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the room controller generates a flow control signal based on the flow feedback signal and a pressure control signal based on the pressure feedback signal.

3. The system of claim 0, wherein the room controller selects one of the flow control signal and the pressure control signal to be the control signal provided to the damper.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow controller comprises: a first feedback controller configured to generate a high flow feedback signal; anda second feedback controller configured to generate a low flow feedback signal.

5. The system of claim 0, wherein the pressure controller is configured to generate the pressure feedback signal in response to a pressure set point and a room pressure measurement.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressure controller is configured to generate the pressure feedback signal in response to a pressure set point and a room pressure measurement.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the room controller is configured: to generate the control signal based on the flow feedback signal provided in response to a transient condition; andto generate the control signal based on the pressure feedback signal provided in response to a steady-state condition.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the room controller is an incremental room controller.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow controller is an incremental flow controller.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressure controller is an incremental pressure controller.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the room controller is programmed with a high and low flow limit established to control a flow output of the at least one supply source via the first valve.

12. A pressurization control system comprising: an air supply source;a first space fluidly coupled to the air supply source;a second space selectively coupled to the first space, wherein fluid communication between the first and second spaces defines a transient condition;a room controller configured to provide an incremental control signal to the air supply source, the room controller includes: a flow controller configured to generate a flow feedback signal; anda pressure controller configured to generate a pressure feedback signal;wherein the room controller is configured to generate a first incremental control signal based on the flow feedback signal provided in response to the transient condition, and a second incremental control signal based on the pressure feedback signal.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the room controller selects one of the first or second incremental control signals to be the incremental control signal provided to the damper.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the flow controller comprises: a first feedback controller configured to generate a high flow feedback signal; anda second feedback controller configured to generate a low flow feedback signal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the pressure controller is configured to generate the pressure feedback signal in response to a pressure set point and a room pressure measurement.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the pressure controller is configured to generate the pressure feedback signal in response to a pressure set point and a room pressure measurement.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the room controller is configured: to generate the control signal based on the flow feedback signal provided in response to the transient condition; andto generate the control signal based on the pressure feedback signal provided in response to a steady-state condition.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the room controller is an incremental room controller.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the flow controller is an incremental flow controller.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the pressure controller is an incremental pressure controller.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the room controller is programmed with a high and low flow limit established to control a flow output of the air supply source via a valve.

22. A method of pressure control comprising: connecting an air supply source to a space;coupling a damper to the air supply source;controlling the damper with an incremental control signal; andgenerating a flow feedback signal;generating a pressure feedback signal; andgenerating the incremental control signal as a function of a flow feedback signal, a pressure feedback signal, or both of the signals.