Concept

The spread of COVID-19 has changed the way we think about air quality in public spaces. Though the relative importance of airborne transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is controversial, increasing evidence suggests that understanding airflows is important for estimation of the risk of contracting COVID-19. The data available so far indicate that indoor transmission of the virus far outstrips outdoor transmission, possibly due to longer exposure times and the decreased turbulence levels (and therefore dispersion) found indoors (Bhagat et al, 2020). Air plunging is a concept that circulates and purifies air in  interior environments by opening windows to exchange the poor quality air with fresh air. By plunging and circulating the air the interior environment can imitate the qualities of an exterior environment.

Objective

To create a circuit that could inform and power an air plunging system the arduino UNO board was utilized with servo motors, a DHT temperature and humidity sensor, and an air quality sensor. Each sensor triggers their respective servo motor actuator.

Technique

The code works as follows:

If the air in an interior space is of good quality and has a temperature less than or equal to 23° celsius the air plunging windows remain closed. If the air in an interior space is of good quality and has a temperature more than 23° celsius, half of the air plunging windows open to circulate and cool the air. Once the temperature of the interior space drops below the 23° celsius mark, the windows will close again. If the air in an interior space is of bad quality, no matter the interior temperature, all of the air plunging windows will open to circulate the air with clean outdoor air. Once the air quality of the interior space is of good quality, the windows will close again.

Schematics

System Animations

Video

Bibliography

Bhagat, R. K., Davies Wykes, M. S., Dalziel, S. B., & Linden, P. F. (2020). Effects of ventilation on the indoor spread of COVID-19. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 903

AIR PLUNGE is a project of IAAC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia developed at Master in Advanced Architecture in 2021 by:

STUDENT: MORGAN O’REILLY

FACULTY: ANGEL MUÑZO, CRISTIAN RIZZUTI, BERNAT MORATO