Open Source HVAC System

Basics

• This page is going over how the whole of an HVAC system is run in an OBI building
• Essentially what systems do what, and how the concept of temperature control, humidity control, and air quality/flow fit into the system that is the house

General Characteristics

• Energy Efficient
• Smart (Can integrate with a Building Automation System and/or weather station and/or the internet )
• Control over ALL factors (Temperature, Humidity, and Airflow), not just temperature
• Hydronic Heating in Floors (and likely floor cooling)
• Potential Storage
• Potential Solar Thermal + Biomass Thermal Augmentation
• If done with a custom building, it will be optimized for Passive Ventilation and Superinsulation

Basic Sub-Systems

Hydronics

• Open Source Hydronics System
  • Currently heating via floor radiators
    • Cooling should be easily adaptable
• Any geothermal heat exchange/storage?

External Links

Things to look into later on this topic

• The Wikipedia Page on Dedicated outdoor air systems (also recirculate vs external air systems)
• The Wikipedia Page on Fan coil units (essentially per room forced air heating/cooling via hydronic + logic control over fluids etc)
• The Wikipedia Page on Chilled beam cooling is this just a radiant panel on the ceiling or what? ]
• The Wikipedia Page on Ice storage air conditioning
• The Wikipedia Page on High-ozone shock treatment (can this be done in an automated way (mainly in bathrooms, regular ozone "flushes" when the room is empty for a few hours to a day etc to make mold growth near impossible) ? Tech seems somewhat easy, real question in my opinion is Ozone Resistance of Common Materials (ie it works, but breaks all the plastic things in the room as well etc), increased flammability may be a thing as well?
• The Wikipedia Page on Indoor air quality (dust, and mold are managed, VOCs may be difficult to measure. Sparkfun etc have some sensors, need to look into that further, good ol' dilute and dispose via bringing in "fresh air" often/fast enough should work fine, and most places don't have that much ofgassing anyways?
• Some heat exchanger stuff (again heat exchangers will be huge in a lot of these systems) for maximising efficiency:
  • The Wikipedia Page on Energy recovery ventilation
  • The Wikipedia Page on Heat recovery ventilation
  • Same in name, slightly different in function
• Get papers + design ideas from things like the diagrams below, and make design guidelines and/or house designs utilizing them:
  • Example Diagrams