Optimal control strategy for a cutting-edge hybrid ventilation system in classrooms: Comparative analysis based on air pollution levels across cities

Seyedkeivan Nateghi*, Amirmohammad Behzadi, Jan Kaczmarczyk, Pawel Wargocki, Sasan Sadrizadeh

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

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Abstract

Natural ventilation has the potential to enhance indoor air quality in classrooms with elevated CO2 levels, although it may introduce outdoor pollutants. This study introduces a novel controller for automatic windows that simultaneously monitors outdoor air pollution and temperature, synchronizing window openings with mechanical ventilation system to create a comfortable, healthy, and energy-efficient indoor environment. The practicality of the proposed controller is assessed for a classroom in Delhi, Warsaw, and Stockholm, each with contrasting climates and outdoor pollution levels, specifically PM2.5 and NO2. The controller parameters are optimized for each city using a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) to find the best trade-off between thermal comfort, CO2 levels, and energy consumption. The results show that the controller successfully met the indoor air quality standards in all cities; however, its operation was significantly influenced by the climate and pollution levels. While natural ventilation was utilized for 44% and 31% of the year in Warsaw and Stockholm, respectively, it was used for only 11% of the year in Delhi, the most polluted city. The optimization process significantly reduced energy use across all cities while also successfully reducing indoor CO2 concentrations. Although thermal comfort decreased slightly, it remained within acceptable thermal comfort conditions.
Original languageEnglish
Article number112295
JournalBuilding and Environment
Volume267
Number of pages14
ISSN0360-1323
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2025

Keywords

  • Smart controllers
  • Hybrid ventilation
  • Air quality
  • EnergyPlus
  • Multi-objective optimization
  • Window opening

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