Optimization and Evaluation of a Botanical Air Filtration System in the ReNEWW House
Abstract
The Biowall is a botanical air filter which is designed to purify indoor air and improve air quality through plant-assisted phytoremediation. Earlier experimentation conducted on the Biowall was completed either in an environmental chamber or in other controlled environment. During the summer of 2016, a prototype Biowall was installed in a research residence called the ReNEWW House. This is the first time the Purdue Biowall concept has been monitored and observed in a real-world circumstance. The objectives of this research are to evaluate the performance of the Biowall in a residential house, optimize the control algorithms, and provide recommendations for long- term Biowall management. After improving the mechanical systems and conducting baseline tests, control programs for the irrigation and fan systems were developed. These programs controlled the Biowall through a Building Automation System. An experiment to compare the performance of the Biowall with different fan control algorithms was conducted. With the data collected, a mathematical model of the Biowall was calibrated and validated. The modeling results show that the Biowall’s fan is necessary to fulfill the air filtration function. Duty cycle and demand control settings can maintain the effectiveness of the Biowall, while the efficiency of demand control was dependent on the occupancy of the house. The analysis also found sensible heating energy from light can impact the Biowall performance. Indoor air quality was also analyzed during the study. The results show IAQ was acceptable in the house with the Biowall. In addition, a horticulture study developed a Biowall health model and analyzed maintenance strategies for plants. Some performance issues with the remote-access control platform were encountered during the experiment. This issue was evaluated and several Biowall management regulations were created to prevent this occurrence in the future. Overall, this research provides several recommendations for improving future iterations of the Biowall.
Degree
M.S.
Advisors
Hutzel, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Mechanical engineering|Sustainability
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