Simulating nanoparticle concentration using stochastic models to improve indoor air quality in the industry

In industrial scenarios, nanoparticles are incidentally generated in high concentrations during diverse material transformation processes, presenting potential health hazards for exposed workers. Consequently, as an indoor air quality management measure, their concentration is commonly reduced throu...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Cebolla Alemany, Joaquim|||0000-0002-3958-6913, Macarulla Martí, Marcel|||0000-0002-5469-7291, Viana Rodríguez, Mar, Gassó Domingo, Santiago|||0000-0003-0481-4522, Moreno Martín, Verónica, Bou Ibañez, David, San Félix Forner, Vicenta, López Carreño, Rubén-Daniel|||0000-0003-1040-5135
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/427260
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/427260
https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12273-025-1245-7
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Reduced-order models
Lumped sum model
Grey-box modeling
Industry
HVAC
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Edificació::Instal·lacions i acondicionament d'edificis::Instal·lacions de ventilació
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Física::Física de fluids
Descripción
Sumario:In industrial scenarios, nanoparticles are incidentally generated in high concentrations during diverse material transformation processes, presenting potential health hazards for exposed workers. Consequently, as an indoor air quality management measure, their concentration is commonly reduced through localized forced ventilation. However, the control of these systems usually relies on traditional rule-based algorithms, which cannot deploy efficient control strategies such as model predictive control. To solve this issue, we propose a novel grey-box reduced order model method, never used before for industrial indoor nanoparticles. This approach can be deployed in model predictive control algorithms in buildings and does not present the data-reliance and transferability issues of black-box modeling. To test this model, a data collection campaign was conducted under real-world operating conditions in an industrial-scale thermal spraying booth, aiming to test the method’s viability for model calibration and validation of indoor total nanoparticle concentration through the maximum likelihood method, statistical validation tests, and physical viability assessment. Results for three different lumped sum models illustrate the effectiveness of grey-box modeling in industrial scenarios with confined processes and forced ventilation systems, handling observations’ noise and background concentration fluctuations, and allowing a performance comparison between models. Further research could be conducted to study the viability of indoor total nanoparticle concentration reduced order models with higher spatial resolution, non-confined sources, and natural airflows