NZ794095B2

NZ794095B2 - Predicting spherical irradiance for volume disinfection

Info

Publication number: NZ794095B2
Application number: NZ794095A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Ian Edward Ashdown
Original assignee: Suntracker Technologies Ltd
Filing date: 2021-07-08
Publication date: 2025-01-28

Abstract

Given the complexity of architectural spaces and the need to calculate spherical irradiances, it is difficult to determine how much ultraviolet radiation is necessary to adequately kill airborne pathogens. An interior environment with luminaires is modeled. Spherical irradiance meters are positioned in the model and the direct and indirect spherical irradiance is calculated for each sensor. From this, an irradiance field is interpolated for a volume of interest, and using known fluence response values for killing pathogens, a reduction in the pathogens is predicted. Based on the predicted reduction, spaces are built accordingly, and ultraviolet luminaires are installed and controlled.

Claims

1. CLAIMS 1. A method for ting spherical irradiance for disinfecting an or environment, the method comprising the steps of: 5 positioning, by a processor, spherical irradiance meters in a model of the interior environment; calculating, by the processor, for each spherical irradiance meter, a total cal irradiance; interpolating, by the processor, the total spherical irradiances to result in a three- 10 dimensional spherical irradiance field; and calculating, by the processor, using the three-dimensional spherical ance field and a fluence response value of a pathogen, a predicted reduction in the pathogen in the or environment, the method further comprising controlling at least one ultraviolet luminaire in the 15 interior environment to provide the predicted reduction.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising prior to the positioning step: preparing the model as a three-dimensional computer-aided drafting model; and calculating a radiosity solution for the interior environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein: 20 the spherical irradiance meters are positioned in an array in a volume of interest for air flow ations; the predicted ion is calculated for the volume of st; the interior environment comprises one or more ultraviolet luminaires; and for each spherical irradiance meter, the total spherical irradiance is calculated by 25 summing: direct spherical irradiance on the spherical irradiance meter due to all of the ultraviolet luminaires that are either fully or partially visible to the cal irradiance meter; indirect cal irradiance on the spherical irradiance meter due to all surface 30 patches of the model that are fully or lly visible to the spherical irradiance meter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein calculating the predicted reduction comprises calculating, using the three-dimensional spherical irradiance field, a total radiant fluence for each of multiple finite volumes of air in the volume of interest.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein: the interpolation step is performed trilinearly or tricubically; and the predicted reduction is expressed as a logio reduction.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising, after calculating each total spherical irradiance: marking the spherical irradiance meter as having been processed; and 5 searching for a spherical irradiance meter that is unmarked.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the total spherical irradiance is ultraviolet total spherical irradiance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the interior environment ses air or water.

9. A method for predicting spherical irradiance for disinfecting an interior environment, 10 the method comprising the steps of: positioning, by a processor, spherical irradiance meters in a model of the interior environment; calculating, by the sor, for each spherical irradiance meter, a total spherical irradiance; 15 interpolating, by the sor, the total spherical irradiances to result in a threedimensional spherical irradiance field; and calculating, by the processor, using the three-dimensional spherical irradiance field and a fluence response value of a pathogen, a ted reduction in the en in the interior environment, the method further comprising: 20 mounting an irradiation sensor in an ultraviolet luminaire in the interior environment; periodically measuring, using the irradiation sensor, a radiant flux output of the ultraviolet luminaire; using the radiant flux output and the model to recalculate the three-dimensional cal ance field; and 25 comparing the recalculated three-dimensional spherical irradiance field or a recalculated predicted reduction in the pathogen to a old that results in an alarm being red if met.

10. A system for predicting cal irradiance for disinfecting an interior environment, the system comprising: 30 a processor; and a non-transient computer-readable memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: position spherical irradiance meters in a model of the interior nment; calculate, for each spherical ance meter, a total spherical irradiance; interpolate the total spherical irradiances to result in a three-dimensional spherical irradiance field; and calculate, using the three-dimensional spherical irradiance field and a fluence response value of a pathogen, a predicted reduction in the pathogen in the interior 5 environment, the system further comprising one or more ultraviolet luminaires that provide the predicted reduction in the interior environment. 11. The system of claim 10, sing an irradiation sensor in one or more of the one or more ultraviolet luminaires, wherein the processor is configured to recalculate the total 10 spherical irradiances using a measurement from each irradiation sensor. 12. The system of claim 10, connected to a controller that controls one or more ultraviolet luminaires in the interior environment to e the predicted reduction. 13. The system of claim 12, connected to an occupancy , an ation feed, a timer, a user interface, a power meter, an HVAC ng, ventilation and air conditioning) 15 system, an energy storage system, an energy management system, an artificial intelligence engine, a y company, a fenestration device or a visible luminaire, or any combination selected therefrom, and configured to provide, in the interior environment, one or more of: a temperature within a preset range; lighting within a preset range; a en density below a preset level. (PRIOR ART) Germicidal Response Functions -m-—‘.-- I235 245 255 265 275 285 295 305 Wavelength (nm) — — DIN IESNA (PRIOR ART) «a \4% (PRIOR ART) ‘IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII VIII-IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVIII-IIIIIIIIIIVIII-IIIIIIIIIVIII-IIIIIIIEV AAm III-IIIIIIIV III-IIIIIIV III-IIIIIV ‘I-IIIIIII-IIII-II ‘I-II-l-I-IllI-l- ‘IIIIIIII'IIIilll-II ‘IEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEIIIIII-I’illlllllllllliill III ‘III V..- ‘II ‘-VHIIl‘llllllllllll?l 905 1005 Build CAD model / Calculate radiositv solution / on spherical irradiance meters / Select spherical irradiance meter / Calculate direct spherical ance / Calculate indirect spherical irradiance Mark spherical Iradiance meter 1035 / More unmarked meters? 1040 / i Yes 1045 / interpolate spherical irradiance field Calcu'ate pathogen '0810 reduction 1050/ DESGN 1105 ENVIRONMENT 1130 1135 1140 1145 FK3.

11. 11 CONTROLLER DEVICES I __\_ __________________________________ : ENVIRONMENT 1312 i F ____________ /_ ______________ : :CONTROL SYSTEM 1318': I SENSOR(S) 1340 : II ENERGY . 1320' : 1240 STORAGE I I I INFORMATION : I I FEMS) ENERGY 1322' ' MANAGEMENT : : T'MER15) CONTROLLER 1334 1324. ; 101mm . I |NTERFACE(S) : 1326. I POWER : : METER(S) UTILITIES I __________________________________ . FENESTRATION _ uv LUM'NA'RES : DEVICE(S) LUMINAIRES 1306 1308 \ MOUNT RECALCULATE SENSOR SPHERICAL |RRAD|ANCE FIELD 1410 MEASURE 1430 T FLUX OUTPUT THRESHOLD \ WAIT