Aircuity Mission
Due to the increasing concern for the long-term effects of commercial building energy use on the environment, along with the current cost of energy, the importance of investing in airside solutions to make commercial buildings more energy smart and environmentally friendly has never been greater.
Commercial, institutional and lab building owners are challenged to find reliable technology solutions that ensure their buildings are operating at peak energy efficiency without sacrificing occupant productivity, comfort or safety.
Aircuity’s Technology Offerings
Aircuity’s patented system routes air samples remotely throughout a facility to a centralized suite of sensors. The system can provide intelligent input to building ventilation systems for energy efficiency and high-grade indoor environmental quality by measuring critical indoor environmental parameters.
Unique Architecture: Capture, Sense, and Control
Aircuity’s technology can route air samples, captured from specific rooms or air supply ducts, to a centralized suite of sensors in a way that’s not unlike how data packets are routed through data networks. By utilizing a single set of high quality sensors, our system is able to increase the accuracy of measurements and significantly lower the life cycle costs of maintaining system calibration. The sensor analysis is then used to inform building ventilation controls to optimize ventilation rates based on what is actually going on in the environment.
Solving the Issues of Remote Sensors
The use of centralized sensors in Aircuity’s system solves many of the issues common with traditional sensing systems. Because air samples are analyzed with a single sensor, a true differential measurement is created, vastly improving the accuracy of the system. By significantly reducing the number of sensors necessary, higher quality sensors can be deployed to measure more critical parameters. Aircuity can also cost-effectively provide scheduled calibration service, ensuring system accuracy and effectiveness year over year, which also reduces life cycle costs.
Aircuity’s system continuously collects an array of building indoor environmental data. Air samples are gathered from individual spaces and at the air handler level and routed through the network to the Sensor Suite for analysis. The sampled data is then transmitted to the web-based platform for archiving and reporting. Additionally, the data is communicated to the facility’s Building Management System for control of the facility’s ventilation systems to reduce energy costs while improving indoor environmental quality.
The Information Management System (IMS) provides network management of the Sensor Suites; communications to the web-based user interface; and allows for integration to a facility’s Building Management System via BACnet®.
Sensor Suite
The Sensor Suite (SST) is built on a scalable architecture to accept a variety of sensors. It allows distributed, multiplexed based sensing of the monitored areas. As a shared sensor platform, it minimizes calibration and maintenance costs.
Sensor Suite Sensors
Located within a Sensor Suite, Sensor Suite Sensors (SEN) evaluate an array of environmental conditions using a shared sensor architecture. Each sensor is designed for optimal performance based upon a specific control or monitoring application. A range of sensors are available to measure: carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), dew-point temperature, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) -airborne particulates
Air Data Routers
Air Data Routers (ADR) convey air samples to the Sensor Suite from up to four distinct test areas via dedicated Architectural Wall Probes, Room Probes and/or Duct Probes and the associated OSC/MD/OT. The router multiplexes air samples from the probes via onboard solenoid valves.
Room Probe
The Room Probe (RS) interfaces to the ADR for room level sensing of a multitude of environmental parameters including discrete temperature. It’s also used for drawing air samples back to the SST.
Architectural Wall Probe
The Architectural Wall Probe (AWP) interfaces to the ADR for room level sensing of a multitude of environmental parameters (excluding temperature), and for drawing air samples back to the SST.
Duct Probes
The Duct Probes (DPB) can be mounted on a duct or in an outdoor environment and interface to the ADR for sensing a multitude of environmental parameters including discrete temperature, and for drawing air samples back to the SST.
OSC Structured Cable
The OSC Structured Cable (OSC) is composed of a hollow inner tube, MicroDuct, used to transport air sample packets, interlaced low voltage power and data communications conductors, and a protective outer sheath. It is primarily used between the SST and its associated ADRs as the backbone for the Aircuity System. It can also be used between the ADR and any critical environment test area location.
MicroDuct® Tubing
The MicroDuct Tubing (MD) is a technological breakthrough composed of a fluoropolymer resin and carbon nanotube blend used to transport air sample packets from the test area location back to the ADR. This tubing provides a cost-effective solution for non-critical environments.
OT Tubing
The OT Tubing (OT) is used to transport air sample packets from the test area location back to the ADR. The tubing provides a cost-effective solution for environments where only carbon monoxide (CO) and/or carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are being monitored.
High Flow Vacuum Pump
The HFP series High Flow Vacuum Pump provides a continuous vacuum through the OSC Structured Cable communications backbone, and is provided with a bracket assembly, backup redundancy, and status notifications. The pump connects to the Sensor Suite (SST), which sequences air samples from the Air Data Routers (ADRs). Multiple areas can be monitored from the ADRs, and the routers can be networked as part of a larger distributed system.