SBIR Phase I: Internet of Things (IoT)-Enabled Smart Filter

SBIR 第一阶段：支持物联网 (IoT) 的智能过滤器

• 批准号: 2228149
• 负责人: Sid Chaudhuri
• 金额: $ 26.95万
• 依托单位: POLLUX TECHNOLOGIES LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-06-01 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2228149&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Internet; Things; IoT

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be the development of a novel solution for air filter monitoring that will have a positive impact on public health, the environment, and the US economy. The technology is based upon the direct measurement of the filter status using photosensors, smart signal processing algorithms for accurate filter soiling condition determination using the sensor data, and the Internet of Things (IoT) for control and communication. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Ambient air pollution kills about 3 million people annually... About 90 percent of the world's population is exposed to levels exceeding WHO limits." While air-filtration technology alone cannot solve the overwhelming problem of ambient air pollution, it must be an integral part of a comprehensive solution. With data driven decision making to eliminate premature filter replacement and to reduce costs, the proposed technology will propel the usage of high-quality filters more ubiquitously, leading to enhanced public health. With 150 million heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in operation, and quarterly filter replacement, an estimated 600 million filters are manufactured and thrown away every year. A reduction of 50% of the filter waste will have a significant positive impact on the environment because of reduced manufacturing and waste.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will leverage the accuracy of photosensors in detecting the degree of filter blockage by sensing transmitted light through the filter. Underlying the seemingly straightforward solution is a set of complex technical challenges. Due to the uneven structure including pleats and frame obstructions, the sensor data are inherently noisy. A software-controlled actuator will place the sensor in front of the filter and take data from multiple locations of the filter. A smart algorithm will be developed to extract a parameter from the analysis of the data set that would be an accurate proxy for the particle size removal efficiency defined in the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers standard which in turn is expected to be a sufficiently accurate indicator of the true filter age. Using the IoT capability, the sensor data will be collected in the cloud, where the smart algorithm and control software will be stored. The final objective is to determine the optimum point for filter replacement by comparing the parameter with a threshold parameter derived from a predetermined maximum particle size removal efficiency and airflow resistance based on indoor air quality requirements.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）I阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将是开发用于空气过滤器监测的新颖解决方案，该解决方案将对公共卫生，环境和美国经济产生积极影响。该技术基于使用光传感器的直接测量过滤器状态，智能信号处理算法，用于使用传感器数据进行准确的过滤器污染条件确定，以及用于控制和通信的物联网（IoT）。根据世界卫生组织（WHO）的说法，“环境空气污染每年丧生约300万人……大约90％的世界人口暴露于超过限制的水平。”虽然仅空气过滤技术无法解决环境空气污染的压倒性问题，但它必须是综合解决方案的组成部分。借助数据驱动的决策以消除过滤过滤的替换并降低成本，该提议的技术将更加普遍地推动高质量过滤器的使用，从而增强公共卫生。在运行中，有1.5亿加热，通风和空调（HVAC）系统以及每季度过滤器更换，估计每年制造和扔掉6亿过滤器。由于制造和浪费的减少，减少50％的过滤器浪费将对环境产生重大积极影响。该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）I阶段项目将利用光传感器的准确性来通过通过过滤器传输光线来检测过滤器封锁程度。看似直接的解决方案的基础是一组复杂的技术挑战。由于结构不均，包括褶皱和框架障碍物，传感器数据本质上是嘈杂的。软件控制的执行器将将传感器放在过滤器的前面，并从过滤器的多个位置获取数据。将开发出一种智能算法，以从对数据集的分析中提取参数，这将是美国加热，冷藏和空调工程师标准中定义的粒度去除效率的准确代理，这反过来预计将是真实过滤器年龄的足够准确的指标。使用IoT功能，将在云中收集传感器数据，其中将存储智能算法和控制软件。最终的目标是通过将参数与基于室内空气质量要求的预定最大粒径去除效率和气流电阻得出的阈值参数进行比较来确定过滤器更换的最佳点。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过基金会的知识优点和广泛的影响来评估NSF的法定任务，并通过评估值得进行评估。