EXHAUST FAN ASSEMBLY SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EXHAUSTING A GAS

Abstract

A gas mitigation system includes a duct defining a channel extending between an inlet positioned in flow communication with a ground pit positioned at least partially beneath the building, and an outlet positioned above the inlet and outside of the building. The system further includes a fan assembly having a fan coupled in flow communication with the channel and a motor operably coupled to the fan. A sensor is configured to detect an operating parameter of the fan assembly including at least one of the flow of air within the channel and vibrations generated by operation of the fan assembly. A processor is in communication with the sensor and a memory storing instructions thereon, which, when executed by the processor, may cause the processor to receive the operating parameter detected by the sensor and transmit an alert based upon the operating parameter.

Claims

1. A gas mitigation system for reducing a concentration of a gas within a building, the gas mitigation system comprising: a duct defining a channel therein, the channel extending between an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being positioned in flow communication with a ground pit positioned at least partially beneath the building, the outlet being positioned above the inlet and outside of the building; a fan assembly for inducing a flow of air through the inlet into the channel, and exhausting the flow of air out of the outlet, the fan assembly comprising a fan coupled in flow communication with the channel and a motor operably coupled to the fan; a sensor configured to detect an operating parameter of the fan assembly, the detected operating parameter including at least one of the flow of air within the channel and vibrations generated by operation of the fan assembly; and a processor in communication with the sensor and a memory storing instructions thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive the operating parameter detected by the sensor; and transmit an alert based upon the operating parameter.

2. The gas mitigation system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an airflow sensor positioned at least partially within the duct, the airflow sensor being configured to detect the flow of air within the channel.

3. The gas mitigation system of claim 2, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to: compare the detected airflow to a predetermined airflow threshold; determine, based upon the comparison, that the detected airflow is less than the predetermined airflow threshold; and transmit the alert in response to the determination.

4. The gas mitigation system of claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to transmit the alert over a wireless communications network to a remote terminal, wherein the alert causes at least one of an auditory, visual, and haptic notification at the remote terminal indicating that the fan assembly is not operational.

5. The gas mitigation system of claim 3, further comprising a radioactive gas detector positioned within the channel, the radioactive gas detector being configured to detect a concentration of radioactive gas in the flow of air within the channel.

6. The gas mitigation system of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to: receive the detected concentration of radioactive gas in the airflow from the radioactive gas detector; compare the detected concentration to a predetermined radioactive gas concentration threshold; and generate an additional alert based upon the determination.

7. The gas mitigation system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a motion sensor coupled to the fan assembly, the motion sensor being configured to detect vibrations generated by operation of the fan assembly.

8. The gas mitigation system of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to perform a condition monitoring analysis of the vibrations detected by the motion sensor, wherein the alert is transmitted based upon the condition monitoring analysis.

9. The gas mitigation system of claim 7, wherein the fan assembly includes a housing defining an internal cavity, the fan and motor being positioned within the internal cavity, and wherein the motion sensor is attached to the housing.

10. The gas mitigation system of claim 9, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

11. The gas mitigation system of claim 1 further comprising: a probe housing attached to the duct and extending at least partially within the channel; a radioactive gas detector being configured to detect a concentration of radioactive gas in the flow of air; and a wireless transmitter for transmitting the alert to a remote terminal over a wireless communications network, wherein the sensor is an airflow sensor configured to detect the flow of air within the channel, and wherein the airflow sensor, the radioactive gas detector, and the wireless transmitter are each received in the probe housing.

12. A sensor assembly for use with a gas mitigation system that includes a fan assembly for inducing a flow of air through the gas mitigation system, the sensor assembly comprising: a sensor configured to detect an operating parameter of the fan assembly, the detected operating parameter including at least one of the flow of air through the gas mitigation system and vibrations generated by operation of the fan assembly; and a processor in communication with the sensor and a memory storing instructions thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive the operating parameter detected by the sensor; and transmit an alert based upon the operating parameter.

13. The sensor assembly of claim 12, wherein the sensor is an airflow sensor configured to detect the flow of air through the gas mitigation system.

14. The sensor assembly of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to: compare the detected airflow to a predetermined airflow threshold; determine, based upon the comparison, that the detected airflow is less than the predetermined airflow threshold; and transmit the alert in response to the determination.

15. The sensor assembly of claim 14, wherein the sensor assembly further comprises a transmitter and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to transmit the alert over a wireless communications network to a remote terminal, wherein the alert causes at least one of an auditory, visual, and haptic notification at the remote terminal indicating that a fault has occurred at the fan assembly.

16. The sensor assembly of claim 14, further comprising: a probe housing configured to extend at least partially within a channel defined by the gas mitigation system; a radioactive gas detector being configured to detect a concentration of radioactive gas in the airflow; and a wireless transmitter for transmitting the alert to a remote terminal over a wireless communications network, wherein the sensor, the radioactive gas detector, and the wireless transmitter are each received in the probe housing.

17. The sensor assembly of claim 13, wherein the sensor is a motion sensor coupled to the fan assembly, the motion sensor being configured to detect vibrations generated by operation of the fan assembly, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to perform a condition monitoring analysis of the vibrations detected by the motion sensor, wherein the alert is transmitted based upon the condition monitoring analysis.

18. A gas mitigation apparatus for reducing a concentration of a gas within a building, the gas mitigation apparatus comprising: a fan assembly for inducing a flow of air through a duct, the fan assembly comprising a fan configured to be coupled in flow communication with a channel defined by the duct and a motor operably coupled to the fan; a sensor configured to detect an operating parameter of the fan assembly, the detected operating parameter including at least one of the flow of air within the channel and vibrations generated by operation of the fan assembly; and a processor in communication with the sensor and a memory storing instructions thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive the operating parameter detected by the sensor; and transmit an alert based upon the operating parameter.

19. The gas mitigation apparatus of claim 18, wherein the sensor is an airflow sensor positioned at least partially within the duct, the airflow sensor being configured to detect the flow of air within the channel.

20. The gas mitigation apparatus of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to: compare the detected airflow to a predetermined airflow threshold; determine, based upon the comparison, that the detected airflow is less than the predetermined airflow threshold; and transmit the alert in response to the determination.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The Figures described below depict various aspects of the systems and methods disclosed therein. It should be understood that each Figure depicts an embodiment of a particular aspect of the disclosed systems and methods, and that each of the Figures is intended to accord with a possible embodiment thereof. Further, wherever possible, the following description refers to the reference numerals included in the following Figures, in which features depicted in multiple Figures are designated with consistent reference numerals.

[0011] There are shown in the drawings arrangements which are presently discussed, it being understood, however, that the present embodiments are not limited to the precise arrangements and are instrumentalities shown, wherein:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a building including an exemplary gas mitigation system.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a portion of the exemplary gas mitigation system shown in FIG. 1.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary computing system for use with the exemplary gas mitigation system shown in FIG. 1.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a portion of an alternative exemplary gas mitigation system for use with the building shown in FIG. 1.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an alternative exemplary computing system for use with the gas mitigation system shown in FIG. 4.

[0017] The Figures depict preferred embodiments for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the systems and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The present embodiments may relate to, inter alia, systems and methods for reducing a concentration of a radioactive gas within a building or other structure. For example, the systems and methods described herein may include a duct defining a channel that extends between an inlet and an outlet. The inlet may be positioned in flow communication with a ground pit that is dug out below the house, such as below a foundation of the house for example. The inlet may be positioned at least partially beneath the building and the outlet may be positioned above the inlet and outside of the building.

[0019] The systems may further include a fan assembly for inducing a flow of air through the inlet, into the channel, and exhausting the flow of air out of the outlet. The fan assembly may include a fan coupled in flow communication with the channel and a motor operably coupled to the fan. A sensor configured to detect an operating parameter of the fan assembly may further be provided. In some embodiments, the sensor is an airflow sensor that detects a flow of air within the channel. In some embodiments, the sensor is a motion sensor that detects vibrations generated by operation of the fan assembly.

[0020] A processor may be provided in communication with the sensor and a memory which may cause the processor to receive the operating parameter detected by the sensor and transmit an alert based upon the operating parameter. As a result, the sensor may automatically detect when a malfunction or fault has occurred in the fan assembly and alert the homeowner at a remote location from the fan assembly in response.

[0021] The systems may further include a radioactive gas detector that measures a concentration of radioactive gas in the airflow within the channel. In some embodiments, the radioactive gas detector and the sensor are integrated into a single sensor assembly unit. As a result, the sensor assemblies may be retrofitted into preexisting gas mitigation systems and/or fan assemblies.

Exemplary Gas Mitigation System Including an Airflow Sensor

[0022] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a building 10 having an exemplary gas mitigation system 100. The building 10 includes a basement 20, a ground level 30, an upper level 40 (e.g., an attic), and a roof 50. A suction pit 60 is defined in the surrounding soil 70 of the building 10 beneath the basement 20. In some embodiments, the suction pit 60 may be an area beneath or next to the basement or other part of the building for collecting a gas that may need to be discharged away from the building. The exemplary building 10 depicted in FIG. 1 is a residential home. In other embodiments, the gas mitigation systems 100 described herein may be used with any types of buildings having any suitable configuration.

[0023] The building 10 includes an exemplary gas mitigation system 100 for drawing in a flow of air 101 from the surrounding soil 70 and exhausting the flow of air 101 outside of the building 10. For example, when the building 10 is heated, warm air is provided to the building 10 and rises naturally through the building 10 due to the increased temperature relative to the ambient and surrounding air. The rising of warm air may draw the surrounding naturally occurring gasses in the soil 70 into the building 10, through cracks and other holes in the foundation of the building 10.

[0024] In some environments, these surrounding soil gases may include a level of radioactive gases which can negatively impact air quality in the building 10 if allowed to accumulate. For example, if the surrounding soil gases contain high concentrations of radioactive gas, such as radon, this process can lead to an accumulation of the radioactive gases within the building 10 to levels associated with negative health consequences. Accordingly, the gas mitigation system 100 intakes a flow of air 101 that includes gases from the surrounding soil 70 and exhausts the flow of air 101 outside of the building 10 to mitigate against the accumulation of radioactive gases in the building 10.

[0025] In the exemplary embodiment, the gas mitigation system 100 includes a duct 102 which extends through the building 10 from an inlet 104 to an outlet 106. The duct 102 includes a hollow body 108 that defines a channel 110 therein extending from the inlet 104 to the outlet 106. In the exemplary embodiment, the duct 102 is formed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), though in other embodiments, the duct 102 may be formed of any suitable material such as metals or other synthetic polymer and/or plastic materials. The inlet 104 is positioned in the suction pit 60 defined within the soil surrounding the building 10 and the outlet 106 is positioned above the roof 50 of the building 10. In other configurations, the inlet 104 may be positioned at any position within the surrounding soil 70 of the building 10 and the outlet 106 may be positioned at any position outside of the building 10.

[0026] In the exemplary embodiment, the duct 102 extends generally vertically of the building 10 between the inlet 104 and the outlet 106. In other embodiments, the duct 102 may extend at least partially horizontally for routing the flow of air 101 to an outlet positioned at a different point on the building 10. For example, in some embodiments, the duct 102 may extend laterally to a garage or other structure adjacent to and/or connected to the building 10.

[0027] In the exemplary embodiment, the gas mitigation system 100 further includes a fan assembly 112 coupled in flow communication with the channel 110 of the duct 102. The fan assembly 112 is operable to generate a negative pressure in the duct 102 to induce the flow of air 101 from the surrounding soil 70 into the inlet 104, through the duct 102, and exhaust the flow of air 101 outside of building 10. In the exemplary embodiment, fan assembly 112 is positioned in the upper level 40 of the building 10. In other embodiments, the fan assembly 112 may be located at any position along the duct 102.

[0028] In the exemplary embodiment, the gas mitigation system 100 further includes a sensor assembly 114. The sensor assembly 114 is configured to detect whether the fan assembly 112 is operational and transmit an alert signal in response to detecting that the fan assembly 112 is not operational and/or that an inspection or preventative maintenance should be performed. For example, during normal use, the fan assembly 112 is continuously operated to draw the flow of surrounding flow of air 101 into the inlet 104 and exhaust the flow 101 at the outlet 106.

[0029] Overtime, the fan assembly 112 may become non-operational such that the fan assembly 112 does not operate to draw the flow of air 101 through the duct or otherwise is operational in a state below a threshold operational state of the fan assembly 112. For example, overtime, clogging materials such as ice or other containments may build up in the duct 102 and obstruct operation of the fan assembly 112. Additionally, the fan assembly 112 may become inoperable due to a malfunction or breakdown of the fan assembly 112, such as from wear and tear on mechanical components of the fan assembly 112. In the exemplary embodiment, the sensor assembly 114 detects when the fan assembly 112 is not operational and transmits an alert signal in response to detecting that the fan assembly 112 is not operational, as described in greater detail below.

[0030] In the exemplary embodiment, the sensor assembly 114 is positioned at least partially within the channel 110 of the duct 102. The sensor assembly 114 is positioned upstream of the fan assembly 112 though in other embodiments, the sensor assembly 114 may be positioned downstream of the fan assembly 112. Additionally, in some embodiments, the sensor assembly 114 and/or portions of the sensor assembly 114 may be attached to or otherwise connected with the fan assembly 112.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 2, in the exemplary embodiment the fan assembly 112 includes a housing 116 defining an internal cavity 118 therein. The housing 116 is coupled to the duct 102 such that the cavity 118 is in flow communication with the channel 110 of the duct 102. That is, the channel 110 extends fully through the housing 116, by way of the cavity 118. The housing 116 further defines an intake opening 120 at a first end 122 of the housing 116 and an exhaust opening 124 at a second end 126 of the housing 116. The fan assembly 112 further includes a fan 128, a shaft 130, and a motor 132 positioned within the internal cavity 118. The motor 132 is operatively connected to the fan 128 to drive rotation of blades 135 of the fan 128 about a rotational axis extending through the shaft 130. Rotation of the fan 128 generates a negative pressure within housing 116, thereby drawing air through the channel 110 and into the intake 120 and expelling the air through the exhaust 124 and to the outlet 106 (shown in FIG. 1).

[0032] The motor 132 and the fan 128 may have any suitable configuration that allows for the generation of the airflow 101 through the duct 102. For example, the motor 132 may be a radial flux motor, an axial flux motor, or any other suitable motor operable to rotate the shaft 130 and fan 128 as described herein. In the exemplary embodiment, the rotational axis of the fan 128 is generally parallel to the direction of airflow through the housing 116, though in other embodiments, the fan 128 may be configured to rotate about an axis that is obliquely or transversely oriented relative to the direction of airflow in the housing 116. In some embodiments, the housing 116 may include one or more filters and/or covers (not shown) extending across the intake 120 and/or the exhaust 124 that allows the airflow 101 to pass therethrough while limiting solid obstructions from entering the housing 116.

[0033] In the exemplary embodiment, the sensor assembly 114 includes an airflow sensor 134, a radioactive gas detector 136, a transmitter 138, and a user-interface 140. The airflow sensor 134, the radioactive gas detector 136, and the transmitter 138 are each positioned within a probe housing 139. The probe housing 139 is positioned at least partially within the channel 110 such that air flow through the channel 110 flows through at least the radioactive gas detector 136 and the airflow sensor 134. In the exemplary embodiment, the sensor assembly 114 is provided as a single-piece unit that is attached to the duct 102 by cutting an insertion hole 142 into the body of the duct 102. In other embodiments, the sensor assembly 114 may include different separate piece units that are independently attached to the duct 102. For example, in one embodiment (not shown) the airflow sensor 134 and the radioactive gas detector 136 are provided in different probe housings 139 and are independently coupled to the duct 102. In further embodiments, the transmitter 138 may be provided in a separate housing from the radioactive gas detector 136 and/or the airflow sensor 134.

[0034] The airflow sensor 134 is configured to detect the flow of air within the channel 110. In some embodiments, the airflow sensor 134 includes a volume air flow sensor and/or a mass air flow sensor. The airflow sensor 134 may generate a signal indicating the measured airflow and/or a signal indicating whether the airflow within the channel 110 is at or above a predetermined minimum threshold based upon the detected airflow.

[0035] The radioactive gas detector 136 is configured to detect concentration levels of radioactive gas in the airflow passing through the channel 110. In the exemplary embodiment, the radioactive gas detector 136 measures radon concentration levels in the airflow in picocuries per liter (pCi/L).

[0036] The transmitter 138 is coupled in communication with the radioactive gas detector 136 and the airflow sensor 134. In the exemplary embodiment, the transmitter 138 is a wireless transmitter, though in other embodiments, the sensor assembly 114 may additionally or alternatively include a communication port (not shown) for coupling the sensor assembly 114 in wired communication (e.g., via an ethernet cable) with a home network 306 (shown in FIG. 3) and/or one or more computing devices. In other embodiments, the transmitter 138 is further configured to function as a transceiver to receive signals from one or more communication devices.

[0037] The user-interface 140 is provided on the probe housing 116 and positioned outside of the duct 102 such that the user-interface 140 is visually accessible to a user. The user-interface 140 may include a display for displaying the airflow levels measured by the airflow sensor 134 and/or the concentration of radioactive gas measured by the radioactive gas detector 136. In other embodiments, the sensor assembly 114 does not include the user-interface 140.

Exemplary Computing System

[0038] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary computing system 300 including the sensor assembly 114 shown in FIG. 2.

[0039] The high-level architecture illustrated in FIG. 3 may include both hardware and software applications, as well as various data communications channels for communicating data between the various hardware and software components, as is described below.

[0040] The computing system 300 includes a server 302 and a remote terminal 304, each of which may communicate with one another (and/or with the sensor assembly 114) using one or more networks 306, which may be a wireless network, or which may include a combination of wireless and wired networks. In some embodiments, the network 306 is a wireless internet (e.g., Wi-Fi) network. In other embodiments, the network 306 is a smart-home and/or internet of things (IoT) network. In some embodiments, network 306 is a short-range wireless communication protocol, such as Bluetooth or near field communication (NFC).

[0041] The server 302 may in some instances be a collection of multiple co-located or geographically distributed servers, etc. Additionally, although only one server 302 is shown in FIG. 2, there may be many servers. Furthermore, the server 302 may include a processor 308 and a memory 310. The processor 308 may in some embodiments include multiple processors, and may be configured to execute any instructions residing on the memory 310. The software applications may be configured to analyze the data detected by the sensors assembly 114 to determine information associated with the radon mitigation system 100 (shown in FIG. 1). Moreover, the memory 310 may include multiple memories, which may be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, optically readable memories, biologically readable memories, and/or any other suitable type(s) of non-transitory, computer-readable storage media

[0042] The remote terminal 304 may be, for instance, a personal computer, cellular phone, smart phone, tablet computer, smart home computing unit, or any other suitable device associated with an individual in the building 10 (shown in FIG. 1). Furthermore, the remote terminal 304 includes a processor 312 and a memory 314. The processor 312 may in some embodiments include multiple processors, and may be configured to execute any software applications residing on the memory 314. Moreover, the memory 314 may include multiple memories, which may be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, optically readable memories, biologically readable memories, and/or any other suitable type(s) of non-transitory, computer-readable storage media. Additionally, the remote terminal 304 may include a user-interface 316 (e.g., a display configured to display a user-interface), upon which notifications, alerts, etc. may be displayed.

[0043] In the exemplary embodiment, the sensor assembly 114 further includes a processor 318 and a memory 320 storing instructions and/or software applications thereon for execution by the processor 318. The memory 320 may store data collected by the airflow sensor 134 and/or the radioactive gas detector 136. The processor 318 may in some embodiments include multiple processors, and may be configured to execute any software applications residing on the memory 320. Moreover, the memory 320 may include multiple memories, which may be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, optically readable memories, biologically readable memories, and/or any other suitable type(s) of non-transitory, computer-readable storage media. In other embodiments, the sensor assembly 114 does not include the processor 318 and the memory 320.

[0044] The processor 318 is coupled in communication with the radioactive gas detector 136 and the airflow sensor 134. The processor 318 receives signals from the radioactive gas detector 136 indicating the measured concentration of radioactive gas and further receives signals from the airflow sensor 134 indicating the measured airflow in the channel 110 (collectively referred to herein as the measured airflow data). The processor 318 stores the measured air flow data in the memory 320 and may cause the transmitter 138 to transmit the measured airflow data to the remote terminal 304 and/or the server 302. In some embodiments, each of the airflow sensor 134 and the radioactive gas detector 136 may include a respective processor 318 and/or memory 320. In some such embodiments, data and/or signals generated by the airflow sensor 134 and the radioactive gas detector 136 are transmitted directly to at least one of the server 302 and/or the remote terminal 304, which generates any corresponding alerts, as described in greater detail below.

[0045] In the exemplary embodiment, the processor 318 is further configured to analyze the measured airflow data and generate one or more alerts based upon the measured airflow data. For example, the processor 318 compares the air flow sensor data to a predetermined minimum airflow threshold stored on the memory 320 to determine whether the fan assembly 112 is functional. If the measured airflow is at and/or below the predetermined minimum airflow threshold, the processor 318 may generate first alert which is transmitted to the remote terminal 304 and/or the server 302. The first alert indicates to a user at the remote terminal 304 that fan assembly 112 is not operational and maintenance or inspection is required. For example, first alert may cause the remote terminal 304 to generate an auditory, visual, and/or haptic alert to a user that a fault has occurred. If the measured airflow is at and/or above the predetermined minimum airflow threshold, no alert is generated. As a result, the exemplary computing system 300 may detect when the fan assembly 112 is non-operational and/or has experienced a fault and notify a user at the user-interface 316 of the remote terminal 304. In some embodiments, the processor 318 also causes the user-interface 140 of the sensor assembly 114 to display a visual and/or auditory alert indicating the fault.

[0046] The processor 318 further compares the radioactive gas concentration detected by the radioactive gas detector 136 to a predetermined minimum radioactive gas concentration stored on the memory 320. If the measured radioactive gas concentration is at and/or below the predetermined radioactive gas concentration threshold, the processor 318 may generate an alert which is transmitted to the remote terminal 304 and/or the server 302. The alert notifies a user that the detected concentration of radioactive gas have exceeded predetermined minimum levels. In some embodiments, the predetermined radioactive gas concentration threshold may be based upon a regulatory standard for acceptable concentration levels of radioactive gas, such as 4 pCi/L. In some embodiments, if the measured airflow is at and/or below the predetermined minimum airflow threshold, the processor 318 may further generate an alert that includes a most recent concentration of radioactive gas detected by the radioactive gas detector 136.

[0047] In some embodiments, the processor 312 of the remote terminal 304 and/or the processor 308 of the network 306 may analyze the measured airflow data and generate any corresponding alerts additionally or alternatively to the processor 318. For example, in embodiments where the sensor assembly 114 does not include the processor 318 and the memory 320, the transmitter 138 may directly transmit the measured air flow data to the server 302 and/or the remote terminal 304, which may analyze the data as described herein with respect to the processor 318.

[0048] In the exemplary embodiment, a software application saved on the remote terminal 304 may be used to configure communications and operation of the sensor assembly 114. For example, a user may install the software application on the remote terminal 304 which may be used to connect the sensor assembly 114 to the network 306. Additionally, the software application may be used to determine alert preferences for the sensor assembly 114, such as whether alert's will be provided as any one of: an auditory and/or visual alert in the software application at the remote terminal; a text message to one or more recipients; an e-mail message to one or more recipients; or any other suitable electronically communicable alert. The software application may further cause display at the user-interface 316 of an operational status of the gas mitigation system over time and the potential for risk from exposure to the detected radioactive gas.

Exemplary Gas Mitigation System Including a Motion Sensor

[0049] FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative exemplary gas mitigation system 400 including an alternative sensor assembly 414. FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative exemplary computing system 500 including the alternative exemplary sensor assembly of FIG. 4. The gas mitigation system 400 is substantially the same as the system 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, except as otherwise stated herein. In particular, in the exemplary embodiment the sensor assembly 414 is coupled to the housing 116 of the fan assembly 112 and includes a motion sensor 434, as opposed to the airflow sensor 134 (shown in FIG. 2). Additionally, the sensor assembly 414 is attached to an outer surface 117 of the housing 116 and does not include a radioactive gas detector 136 (shown in FIG. 2). In other embodiments, gas mitigation system 400 may further include a radioactive gas detector similar to radioactive gas detector 136 (shown in FIG. 2), provided as a separate unit from the sensor assembly 414 and positioned within the channel 110. In such embodiments, the radioactive gas detector may be in communication with the sensor assembly 414 and/or may comprise an additional transmitter (not shown) for providing communication with the remote terminal 304 and/or the server 302 (shown in FIG. 5).

[0050] In the exemplary embodiment, the motion sensor 434 is configured to detect vibrations generated by operation of the fan assembly 112. In particular, the motion sensor 434 includes a plurality of accelerometers that are coupled to the housing 116 and detect vibrations generated by at least one of the motor 132 and the fan 128. In other embodiments, the motion sensor 434 may include any suitable sensor operable to detect vibrations, forces, or other movement generated by operation of the fan assembly 112, such as, for example, an acoustic sensor, a position sensor that detects rotational movement of at least one of the shaft 130, the motor 132, and the fan 128, a Hall effect sensor, a resolver, an encoder, etc. In some such embodiments, the motion sensor 434 may be provided as a separate unit from the transmitter 438 and user-interface 440 and may be positioned within the housing 116 and/or the motor 132.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 5, in the exemplary embodiment, the sensor assembly 414 further includes a processor 518 and a memory 522. The processor 518 receives the vibrations detected by the motion sensor 434 and performs a condition monitoring analysis of the detected vibrations to determine whether there are any irregularities and/or faults in the operation of the fan assembly 112. If the processor 518 determines, based upon the condition monitoring analysis, that the detected vibrations are outside of predetermined acceptable tolerances, the alert is generated and transmitted to at least one of the server 302 and/or the remote terminal 304. In some embodiments, the sensor assembly 414 transmits the detected vibrations data directly to at least one of the remote terminal 304 and/or the server 302, which perform the condition monitoring analysis additionally or alternatively to the condition monitoring analysis performed by the sensor assembly 414.

Exemplary Data Aggregation Functionality

[0052] As noted herein, the present embodiments may relate to collecting, generating, or receiving data associated with a radon mitigation system 100, 400. Data related to operation of the radon mitigation system may be collected by detection sensors, such as airflow sensors and/or motion sensors. For example, the data may include fault data indicating the frequency of breakdowns, time, date, geographic information associated with the breakdown, and time intervals between servicing. The data may be aggregated and sent to a manufacturer of radon mitigation systems for trouble-shooting and product design purposes.

[0053] Additionally, in some embodiments, data related to radon concentration levels may be collected by radioactive gas detectors. The radon data collected may be provided to a user to inform them of the radon levels in the home. The radon data collected may also be provided to a real estate agent and/or real estate association, to provide additional information to prospective home sellers/buyers. The radon data collected may also be aggregated to provide a fuller understanding of the radon concentration levels within a given community or geographic region. Such collection may be used, for example, to provide evidence in a legal proceeding or regulatory investigation regarding exposure to radon in a given region or neighborhood. The radon concentration data may also be provided to an insurance company or companies to more fully inform the health risks and associated cost liabilities for individuals living in regions of high radon concentration and/or to incentivize installation and maintenance of effective radon mitigation systems. As an example, an insurance company may use the radon data collected to provide an informed discount of health insurance and/or life insurance policies based upon the installation of effective radon mitigation systems and detecting that the radon concentration in a given home is below certain levels.

Additional Considerations

[0054] As will be appreciated based upon the foregoing specification, the above-described embodiments of the disclosure may be implemented using computer programming or engineering techniques including computer software, firmware, hardware or any combination or subset thereof. Any such resulting program, having computer-readable code means, may be embodied or provided within one or more computer-readable media, thereby making a computer program product, i.e., an article of manufacture, according to the discussed embodiments of the disclosure. The computer-readable media may be, for example, but is not limited to, a fixed (hard) drive, diskette, optical disk, magnetic tape, semiconductor memory such as read-only memory (ROM), and/or any transmitting/receiving medium such as the Internet or other communication network or link. The article of manufacture containing the computer code may be made and/or used by executing the code directly from one medium, by copying the code from one medium to another medium, or by transmitting the code over a network.

[0055] These computer programs (also known as programs, software, software applications, apps, or code) include machine instructions for a programmable processor, and can be implemented in a high-level procedural and/or object-oriented programming language, and/or in assembly/machine language. As used herein, the terms machine-readable medium computer-readable medium refers to any computer program product, apparatus and/or device (e.g., magnetic discs, optical disks, memory, Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs)) used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The machine-readable medium and computer-readable medium, however, do not include transitory signals. The term machine-readable signal refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor.

[0056] As used herein, a processor may include any programmable system including systems using micro-controllers, reduced instruction set circuits (RISC), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), logic circuits, and any other circuit or processor capable of executing the functions described herein. The above examples are example only, and are thus not intended to limit in any way the definition and/or meaning of the term processor.

[0057] As used herein, the terms software and firmware are interchangeable, and include any computer program stored in memory for execution by a processor, including RAM memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, and non-volatile RAM (NVRAM) memory. The above memory types are example only, and are thus not limiting as to the types of memory usable for storage of a computer program.

[0058] In one embodiment, a computer program may be provided, and the program is embodied on a computer readable medium. In an exemplary embodiment, the system is executed on a single computer system, without requiring a connection to a sever computer. In a further embodiment, the system is being run in a Windows? environment (Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington). In yet another embodiment, the system is run on a mainframe environment and a UNIX? server environment (UNIX is a registered trademark of X/Open Company Limited located in Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom). The application is flexible and designed to run in various different environments without compromising any major functionality.

[0059] In some embodiments, the system includes multiple components distributed among a plurality of computing devices. One or more components may be in the form of computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium. The systems and processes are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. In addition, components of each system and each process may be practiced independent and separate from other components and processes described herein. Each component and process may also be used in combination with other assembly packages and processes.

[0060] As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and preceded by the word a or an should be understood as not excluding plural elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly recited. Furthermore, references to example embodiment or one embodiment of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

[0061] The patent claims at the end of this document are not intended to be construed under 35 U.S.C. ? 112(f) unless traditional means-plus-function language is expressly recited, such as means for or step for language being expressly recited in the claim(s).

[0062] This written description uses examples to disclose the disclosure, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the disclosure is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.