CLEANROOM CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD
The control system for controlling air volume to maintain a desired concentration of airborne contamination in a cleanroom supplied by a HVAC system being operative to supply treated air to the cleanroom includes a sensor for a concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles in real time or near real time; and a processor for comparing the sensed concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles against the desired concentration of airborne contamination. At least one control signal is outputted to the HVAC system based on the comparison.
1 . A control system for controlling air volume to maintain a desired concentration of airborne contamination in a cleanroom supplied by a HVAC system being operative to supply treated air to the cleanroom, the control system comprising:
means for sensing a concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles in real time or near real time; and
means for comparing the sensed concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles against the desired concentration of airborne contamination and outputting at least one control signal to the HVAC system based on the comparison.
2 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a cleanroom having one or more zones or rooms, each of the zones or rooms having a respective desired concentration of airborne contamination.
3 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the desired concentration of airborne contamination is specified by the number of non-viable particles per cubic meter having a particle size of equal to or greater than 0.1 μm, 0.2 μm, 0.3 μm, 0.5 μm, 1 μm and 5 μm in diameter.
4 . (canceled)
5 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the HVAC system comprises at least one HVAC air handling unit (AHU) supplying treated air through a ducting system, and one or more constant air volume devices and/or one or more variable air volume devices positioned in the ducting and generally associated with each respective zone or room of the cleanroom.
6 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the air treatment is selected from a group comprised of: filtration, ventilation, heating, cooling, humidification, pressurisation, occupancy, and combinations thereof.
7 . (canceled)
8 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising means for secondary sensing an environmental condition and/or process condition and/or HVAC system condition in real time or near real time.
9 . The control system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the secondary sensing means further comprises one or more sensors selected from a group being comprised of: temperature sensor, humidity sensor, pressure sensor, differential pressure sensor, airborne molecular contamination sensor, contaminant deposition sensor, air flow sensor, proximity sensor, and combinations thereof.
10 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processing means receiving energy price data and/or usage data.
11 . The control system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the processing means receiving the sensed environmental condition and/or process condition and/or HVAC system condition and/or energy price data and/or usage data and outputting one or more secondary control signals to the HVAC system.
12 . The control system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the one or more secondary control signals are outputted without causing the sensed concentration of particles to depart from the desired concentration of airborne contamination.
13 . The control system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the desired concentration of airborne contamination and/or energy price data and/or usage data being initially user configurable.
14 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one control signal to the HVAC system controlling the air volume supplied to the cleanroom.
15 . The control system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the one or more secondary control signals controlling the filtration, ventilation, heating, cooling, humidification, pressurisation, occupancy, and combinations thereof supplied to the cleanroom.
16 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processing means comprises a model predictive control (MPC) algorithm.
17 . The control system as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the model predictive control algorithm being able to self-adapt.
18 . The control system as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising:
a model component that receives a HVAC system operating condition from extrinsic data analysis and which models HVAC system behaviour; and
means for receiving the modelled HVAC system behaviour and issuing a control action based on the modelled HVAC system behaviour and a cost minimizing function and constraints.
19 - 20 . (canceled)
21 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising means for enabling communication and/or integration and/or interoperability with third party building management systems (BMSs).
22 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising means for monitoring the energy performance of the cleanroom and/or particle contamination concentration within the cleanroom.
23 . A method of controlling air volume to maintain a desired concentration of airborne contamination in a cleanroom supplied by a HVAC system being operative to supply treated air to the cleanroom, comprising the steps of:
sensing a concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles in real time or near real time;
comparing the sensed concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles against the desired concentration of airborne contamination; and
outputting at least one control signal to the HVAC system based on the comparison.
24 . A computer program product for controlling air volume to maintain a desired concentration of airborne contamination in a cleanroom supplied by a HVAC system being operative to supply treated air to the cleanroom, comprising:
computer program means for sensing a concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles in real time or near real time;
computer program means for comparing the sensed concentration of non-viable particles and/or viable particles against the desired concentration of airborne contamination; and
computer program means for outputting at least one control signal to the HVAC system based on the comparison.
25 - 27 . (canceled)