System and method using connected dampers for dehumidifying air
A method of controlling indoor air humidity includes determining a dew point set point and determining a dew point of air from a space within a building. The method also includes, in response to determining that the dew point satisfies the dew point set point, determining a vent air dew point of air in an external environment surrounding the building. The method further includes, in response to determining that the vent air dew point is below the dew point set point by a dew point threshold, controlling a connecting member of a damper assembly to position a first damper of the damper assembly in an open position to draw in vent air from the external environment into the space, and to position a second damper of the damper assembly in a close position to substantially prevent recirculation of air through the dehumidifier.
1 . A method, comprising:
determining a vent air dew point of vent air in an external environment surrounding a building; and
determining that the vent air dew point is equal to or below a dew point set point and in response:
controlling a connector of a damper assembly to position a first damper of the damper assembly in an open position to exhaust conditioned air to a vent exhaust opening fluidly coupled to the external environment, and to position a second damper of the damper assembly in a closed position to substantially prevent recirculation of the conditioned air to a space within the building;
controlling an air driver to exhaust the conditioned air from the space through a dehumidifier to the external environment; and
determining that the vent air dew point is greater than the dew point set point or is within a dew point threshold of the dew point set point and in response:
controlling the connector of the damper assembly to position the first damper in the closed position and to position the second damper in the open position;
activating the dehumidifier; and
controlling the air driver to recirculate air through the dehumidifier to the space within the building.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to a determination that the vent air dew point is greater than the dew point set point, activating the dehumidifier to reduce a moisture level of the vent air.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the connector to position the first damper in the closed position substantially prevents exhausting the conditioned air to the vent exhaust opening, and positioning the second damper in the open position recirculates the conditioned air to the space through the dehumidifier.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
moving the connector of the damper assembly to reposition the first damper in the closed position and the second damper in the open position;
controlling the air driver to draw the conditioned air from the space within the building across a sensor; and
determining, via the sensor, a dew point of the conditioned air.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising periodically sampling the conditioned air from the space within the building and the vent air by moving the connector of the damper assembly between a first position in which the first damper is in the closed position and the second damper in the open position, and a second position in which the first damper is in the open position and the second damper is in the closed position.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the vent air dew point comprises measuring a dew point of the vent air over a vent air sampling period.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to a determination that a conditioned air dew point of the conditioned air within the space has been sufficiently reduced to satisfy the dew point set point, controlling the connector to position the first damper in the closed position and the second damper in the open position.
8 . A control system, comprising:
an air driver;
a dehumidifier assembly;
a damper assembly comprising:
a first damper that controls an exchange of air with an external environment surrounding a building;
a second damper that controls a recirculation of conditioned air from a space within the building; and
a connector coupled to both the first damper and the second damper and configured to move the first damper and the second damper; and
a controller communicably coupled to the air driver, the dehumidifier assembly, and the damper assembly, the controller configured to:
determine a vent air dew point of vent air in an external environment surrounding a building; and
determine that the vent air dew point is equal to or below a dew point set point and in response:
control the connector to position the first damper in an open position to exhaust conditioned air to a vent exhaust opening fluidly coupled to the external environment, and to position the second damper of the damper assembly in a closed position to substantially prevent recirculation of the conditioned air to the space;
control the air driver to exhaust the conditioned air from the space through the dehumidifier assembly to the external environment; and
determine that the vent air dew point is greater than the dew point set point or is within a dew point threshold of the dew point set point and in response:
control the connector of the damper assembly to position the first damper in the closed position and to position the second damper in the open position;
activate the dehumidifier assembly; and
control the air driver to recirculate air through the dehumidifier assembly to the space within the building.
9 . The control system of claim 8 , wherein, responsive to a determination that the vent air dew point is greater than the dew point set point, the controller is configured to control the dehumidifier assembly to reduce a moisture level of the vent air.
10 . The control system of claim 8 , wherein, in response to determining that the vent air dew point has been sufficiently reduced to satisfy the dew point set point, the controller is further configured to control the connector to position the first damper in the closed position and the second damper in the open position.
11 . The control system of claim 8 , further comprising a sensor communicably coupled to the controller, wherein determining the vent air dew point from the sensor comprises measuring a dew point of the vent air over a vent air sampling period.
12 . The control system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to periodically sample the conditioned air from the space within the building and the vent air by moving the connector of the damper assembly between a first position in which the first damper is in the closed position and the second damper in the open position, and a second position in which the first damper is in the open position and the second damper is in the closed position.
13 . The control system of claim 8 , wherein, in response to a determination that a conditioned air dew point of conditioned air within the space has been sufficiently reduced to satisfy the dew point set point, the controller is further configured to control the connector to position the first damper in the closed position and the second damper in the open position.
14 . An apparatus, comprising:
a humidity control unit comprising a memory storing machine readable instructions and a processor, the machine readable instructions configured to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
determining a vent air dew point of vent air in an external environment surrounding a building; and
determining that the vent air dew point is equal to or below a dew point set point and in response:
controlling a connector of a damper assembly to position a first damper of the damper assembly in an open position to exhaust conditioned air to a vent exhaust opening fluidly coupled to the external environment into a space within a building, and to position a second damper of the damper assembly in a closed position to substantially prevent recirculation of the conditioned air to a space within the building;
controlling an air driver to exhaust the conditioned air from the space through a dehumidifier to the external environment; and
determining that the vent air dew point is greater than the dew point set point or is within a dew point threshold of the dew point set point and in response:
controlling the connector of the damper assembly to position the first damper in the closed position and to position the second damper in the open position;
activating the dehumidifier; and
controlling the air driver to recirculate air through the dehumidifier to the space within the building.
15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein, responsive to a determination that the vent air dew point is greater than the dew point set point, the machine readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to perform operations comprising controlling the dehumidifier to reduce a moisture level of the vent air.
16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein determining the vent air dew point comprises measuring a dew point of the vent air over a vent air sampling period.
17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the machine readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to perform operations comprising periodically sampling the conditioned air from the space within the building and the vent air by moving the connector of the damper assembly between a first position in which the first damper is in the closed position and the second damper in the open position, and a second position in which the first damper is in the open position and the second damper is in the closed position.
18 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein, in response to a determination that a conditioned air dew point of conditioned air within the space has been sufficiently reduced to satisfy the dew point set point, the machine readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to perform operations comprising controlling the connector to position the first damper in the closed position and the second damper in the open position.
19 . The control system of claim 8 , wherein the connector comprises a shaft that is directly connected to the first damper and the second damper, the shaft maintaining a rotational position of the first damper relative to the second damper.