A system for use with a manhole vault having an internal atmosphere, and, optionally, with a ventilation stack connecting the vault to an external atmosphere. The system includes a manhole cover, a ventilation pipe, and an air moving assembly. The cover has one or more through-holes extending between top and bottom surfaces. Each of the through-hole(s) is in fluid communication with the external atmosphere at the top surface. The pipe has a through-channel that extends between first and second openings. The first opening is positioned proximal to either an opening into the ventilation stack or at least one of the through-hole(s) at the bottom surface of the cover. The second opening is positioned in the interior of the vault. The device is configured to cause a portion of one of the interior and external atmospheres to flow through the through-channel toward a different one of the interior and external atmospheres.

A system for use with a manhole vault having an internal atmosphere, and, optionally, with a ventilation stack connecting the vault to an external atmosphere. The system includes a manhole cover, a ventilation pipe, and an air moving assembly. The cover has one or more through-holes extending between top and bottom surfaces. Each of the through-hole(s) is in fluid communication with the external atmosphere at the top surface. The pipe has a through-channel that extends between first and second openings. The first opening is positioned proximal to either an opening into the ventilation stack or at least one of the through-hole(s) at the bottom surface of the cover. The second opening is positioned in the interior of the vault. The device is configured to cause a portion of one of the interior and external atmospheres to flow through the through-channel toward a different one of the interior and external atmospheres.

A thermostat for a building zone includes at least one of a model predictive controller and an equipment controller. The model predictive controller is configured to obtain a cost function that accounts for a cost of operating HVAC equipment during each of a plurality of time steps, use a predictive model to predict a temperature of the building zone during each of the plurality of time steps, and generate temperature setpoints for the building zone for each of the plurality of time steps by optimizing the cost function subject to a constraint on the predicted temperature. The equipment controller is configured to receive the temperature setpoints generated by the model predictive controller and drive the temperature of the building zone toward the temperature setpoints during each of the plurality of time steps by operating the HVAC equipment to provide heating or cooling to the building zone.

A thermostat for a building zone includes at least one of a model predictive controller and an equipment controller. The model predictive controller is configured to obtain a cost function that accounts for a cost of operating HVAC equipment during each of a plurality of time steps, use a predictive model to predict a temperature of the building zone during each of the plurality of time steps, and generate temperature setpoints for the building zone for each of the plurality of time steps by optimizing the cost function subject to a constraint on the predicted temperature. The equipment controller is configured to receive the temperature setpoints generated by the model predictive controller and drive the temperature of the building zone toward the temperature setpoints during each of the plurality of time steps by operating the HVAC equipment to provide heating or cooling to the building zone.

A water distribution apparatus and method including cold and hot water supplies, a fan coil (or chilled beam device), a control valve having cold and hot water inlets and outlets, cold and hot water outputs configured to supply cold and hot water to the fan coil, cold and hot water return inlets configured to receive from the fan coil the water supplied by the cold and/or water outputs and outputting the cold and/or hot water to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively, via the cold and hot water outlets, respectively. Cold and hot water is supplied from the cold and/or hot water outputs to the fan coil and received into the cold and hot water return inlets, respectively, and the cold and hot water supplied by the cold and hot water outputs to the fan coil is output to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively.

A water distribution apparatus and method including cold and hot water supplies, a fan coil (or chilled beam device), a control valve having cold and hot water inlets and outlets, cold and hot water outputs configured to supply cold and hot water to the fan coil, cold and hot water return inlets configured to receive from the fan coil the water supplied by the cold and/or water outputs and outputting the cold and/or hot water to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively, via the cold and hot water outlets, respectively. Cold and hot water is supplied from the cold and/or hot water outputs to the fan coil and received into the cold and hot water return inlets, respectively, and the cold and hot water supplied by the cold and hot water outputs to the fan coil is output to the cold and hot water supply lines, respectively.

A portable electronic device includes a signal control module, an information display module, a temperature and humidity sensing module, and a gas detection module. The information display module is configured for providing a plurality of information display images. The gas detection module is configured for detecting a gas concentration of a predetermined gas to obtain a gas concentration value. One of the information display images has a temperature and humidity coordinate graph, and a plurality of comfortability distribution areas shown on the temperature and humidity coordinate graph, an ambient temperature value and an ambient humidity value that are obtained by the temperature and humidity sensing module serve as a temperature and humidity indicator shown on one of the comfortability distribution areas, and the gas concentration value that is obtained by the gas detection module serves as a comfortability indicator shown on one of the comfortability distribution areas.

A portable electronic device includes a signal control module, an information display module, a temperature and humidity sensing module, and a gas detection module. The information display module is configured for providing a plurality of information display images. The gas detection module is configured for detecting a gas concentration of a predetermined gas to obtain a gas concentration value. One of the information display images has a temperature and humidity coordinate graph, and a plurality of comfortability distribution areas shown on the temperature and humidity coordinate graph, an ambient temperature value and an ambient humidity value that are obtained by the temperature and humidity sensing module serve as a temperature and humidity indicator shown on one of the comfortability distribution areas, and the gas concentration value that is obtained by the gas detection module serves as a comfortability indicator shown on one of the comfortability distribution areas.

An apparatus and method to deter mold growth on the interior surfaces of buildings. The apparatus is a corded and plugged power supply with adjustable temperature and humidity sensors, logic circuitry, and split duplex receptacles. The method employs the apparatus, a portable heater, an array of portable fans, and catchments containing a hygroscopic substance such as calcium chloride. One receptacle controls the heater. The other receptacle controls the fans. There are three operative states: a heat-on/fans-on state at low temperature, a heat-off/fans-on state at high temperature and high humidity, and an idle state at high temperature and low humidity. The catchments capture water vapor circulated by the fans.

An antistatic structure includes a casing, an element disposed in the casing, and a first conductive member disposed on an inner face of the casing and configured to send static electricity to a ground. The first conductive member is at least partially disposed around a region opposite the element in the casing.