Seismic event detection system
Various embodiments herein relate to systems and methods for detecting seismic events. Systems may include inertial sensors distributed on or in communication with a network of optically switchable windows in the building. In some systems, inertial sensors are located within a window controller, within an insulated glass unit, or in some way rigidly attached to the structure of a building. Logic is described for leveraging sensed inertial data to predicted a seismic event and/or evaluate the structural health of the building. In some cases, logic may be used to issue an alert to building occupants about impending shear waves that will arrive at the building's location. In some cases, a window network may respond to a detected seismic event by, e.g., changing the optical state of windows and/or providing occupants with evacuation instructions.
1. A system for detecting seismic waves, the system comprising:
two or more buildings, each comprising a plurality of optically switchable windows;
a plurality of window controllers, each configured to control the optical state of at least one of the plurality of optically switchable windows, wherein the plurality of window controllers are connected via a network;
a plurality of inertial sensors communicatively coupled with the network, each configured to measure inertial data in at least one direction when affixed to a respective one of the two or more buildings and to provide the measured inertial data to the network; and
seismic event detection logic, operating on a distributed computing platform comprising at least one of the plurality of window controllers, and configured to (i) identify or receive building response signatures, wherein the building response signatures comprise the measured inertial data from the plurality of inertial sensors and (ii) analyze the building response signatures to determine that a seismic event has occurred.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the response signature of at least one of the two or more buildings further comprises location data for the plurality of inertial sensors.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of inertial sensors is located within a mullion of one of the plurality of optically switchable windows.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of inertial sensors is located within a housing for a light sensor, wherein the light sensor is connected with the network and configured to provide lighting information to the network for controlling the plurality of optically switchable windows.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of inertial sensors comprises an accelerometer or a gyroscope.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the accelerometer or the gyroscope has a sensitivity greater than about 0.5 V/g.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the accelerometer or gyroscope has a sampling frequency greater than about 1 kHz.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional sensors selected from the group consisting of a strain gauge, an anemometer, a temperature sensor, a piezometer, a GPS sensor, and a camera, wherein the one or more additional sensors provide additional data to the network, and wherein the response signature of at least one of the two or more buildings comprises the additional data.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of inertial sensors is configured to provide inertial data to the network via a wireless connection to at least one of the plurality of window controllers.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network is further configured to deliver power to the plurality of window controllers and the plurality of inertial sensors.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seismic event detection logic is further configured to determine that the response signature of at least one of the two or more buildings corresponds to a P-wave.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the seismic event detection logic is further configured to determine a seismic hypocenter of the P-wave.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the seismic event detection logic is further configured to estimate an arrival of a corresponding S-wave.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the seismic event detection logic is further configured to trigger an alert after determining that the response signature of at least one of the two or more buildings corresponds to a P-wave, wherein triggering the alert includes one or more of providing audible or visual alerts to building occupants, unlocking doors, closing gas lines, and closing water lines.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seismic event detection logic is further configured to determine that one or more of the plurality of inertial sensors is not functioning properly.
16. The system of claiml, wherein the seismic event detection logic is executed on a cloud computing platform in communication with the network.
17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seismic event detection logic is further configured to send control signals to the optically switchable windows to: clear all the windows, clear only windows where occupants are detected while other windows remain tinted, or tint windows to prevent heat gain on one or more sides of a building when a cooling system is shut down, impaired, or expected to be impaired due to loss of power or malfunction/damage from a seismic event.
18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seismic event detection logic is configured to report to or receive data from an external earthquake event detection network.
19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seismic event detection logic is configured to analyze the response signature of at least one of the two or more buildings using a seismic model.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the seismic event detection logic is further configured to detect a structural change in at least one of the building two or more buildings.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the seismic event detection logic is further configured to determine whether the structural change creates a safety threat.
22. The system of claim 21 , wherein determining that the structural change creates a safety threat triggers one or more of providing audible or visual alerts to building occupants, unlocking doors, closing gas lines, and closing water lines.
23. A method for detecting seismic events, the method comprising:
installing a respective window control system in each of two or more buildings, the window control system comprising:
a plurality of optically switchable windows,
a plurality of window controllers, wherein each window controller is configured to control the optical state of at least one of the plurality of optically switchable windows, and wherein the plurality of window controllers are connected by a network, and
a plurality of inertial sensors communicatively coupled with the network and distributed in at least two dimensions in the building, wherein each of the plurality of inertial sensors is configured to measure inertial data in at least one direction, and wherein the plurality of inertial sensors is further configured to provide inertial data to the network;
identifying a building response signature, wherein the building response signature comprises the inertial data provided to the network; and
determining that a seismic event has occurred by analyzing, using a seismic event detection logic operating on a distributed computing platform that comprises at least one of the plurality of window controllers, the seismic event detection logic being configured to (i) identify or receive building response signatures from the two or more buildings, wherein the building response signatures comprise the measured inertial data from the plurality of inertial sensors and (ii) analyze the building response signatures to determine that a seismic event has occurred.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the building response signature comprises location data for the plurality of inertial sensors.
25. The method of claim 23 , wherein at least one inertial sensor includes an accelerometer or gyroscope.
26. The method of claim 23 , further comprising installing one or more additional sensors in at least one of the one or more buildings, the one or more additional sensors selected from the group consisting of a strain gauge, an anemometer, a temperature sensor, a piezometer, a GPS sensor, and a camera, wherein the one or more additional sensors provide additional data to the network.
27. The method of claim 23 , wherein detecting that a seismic event has occurred comprises detecting a P-wave when analyzing the response signature of at least one of the two or more buildings using the seismic detection logic.
28. The method of claim 23 , further comprising detecting a structural change in at least one of the two or more buildings.