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Awesome post. Who was the cranky researcher who developed the climate-controlled window system with the Linux box and python scripts? I want to do the same thin

Awesome post. Who was the cranky researcher who developed the climate-controlled window system with the Linux box and python scripts? I want to do the same thing.

Scoundreller 6y ago
Same, but it seems overkill. I'm in an old office where the only openable window is consumed by a window A/C unit. I want to put a 120mm fan in a small opening next to it that'll turn on when it's more than 3C cooler outside, and more than 24C inside. Seems like an Arduino would do it.
- bbarnett 6y ago
  So when it is 21C outside, and 24+C inside is close enough. Two analog temp switches will be far more reliable, easier, and adjustable. (I get the fun with an Arduino, but it is hard to beat century old tech)
- saeranv 6y ago
  Yeah that's a good way to do it. I think there are a couple of additional ideas that might be worth exploring: - Comfort is a function of multiple factors, not just the dry bulb temperature difference. It includes occupant metabolism, insulation from clothing, radiant heat exchange, air speed, and humidity. This is trivial to solve in the case of a single-person office (just give them control of the window), but more complex once you have multiple occupants with different needs, who are in different locations in the office. I wonder if there's value in using reinforcement learning to customize natural ventilation to optimize the comfort of multiple occupants. - Predicting the temperature the next day, and using a fan to draw in cold night time air into your HVAC ducts when a hot morning/afternoon is expected. This way you can have a reservoir off cool air you can access the next day. - Once you have multiple rooms, and a tall building, there's multiple effects that are worth attempting to coordinate. For example you could coordinate the ventilation of the building air with the stack effect and wind-driven air through the windows, or coordinate the cross-ventilation horizontally through multiple rooms. This would not just modulate temperatures, but also satisfy indoor air quality needs traditionally achieved through the HVAC. Typically a lot of fine-tuning of natural ventilation isn't done because the actual energy/comfort impact for one of these ideas is small relative to complexity of building the system, and the large uncertainty associated with the dynamics of airflow. But my general hypothesis is that with the integration of cheap prediction or RL methods, we can reduce that uncertainty which would permit a more long-tail approach where we can combine multiple small improvements.
- squarefoot 6y ago
  It could be much simpler. If I understood the problem, a differential amplifier (any opamp would do) wired to the temp sensors would output a voltage proportional to the difference between the two temperatures, plus adjustment. This voltage then can be used to drive a pwm generator wired to a h-bridge that drives a reversible fan that would pump air with speed and direction depending on the difference between two temperatures, so that it could be used both ways too warm up or cool down. The same could also be done the digital way by using for example an uber cheapo ATTiny85 small board wired to the sensors, plus the fan and its driver, then doing all in software. That little critter has just the right amount of ports for the job and then some. Not checked on paper (especially the first) but on principle both should work and also would be extremely cheap.
  - phyzome 6y ago
    I have to ask -- are you aware of the existence of bimetallic strips, and how they can perform this function in a completely mechanical way? (No electricity.) It doesn't get you active air movement, of course, but it has worked for years in greenhouses.
    - Scoundreller 6y ago
      My only worry with that is having one end hang out the window. The household round thermostats are still like $35+ each.
    - squarefoot 6y ago
      I know about them; that would be the simplest and safest possible solution indeed, however they are on-off switches and also have a fixed (sometimes excessive) hysteresis which couldn't be ideal for some uses.
- saeranv 6y ago
  I believe I found the researcher and thesis that informed the window project here: https://resenv.media.mit.edu/#Projects#personalized-building-comfort-control https://resenv.media.mit.edu/#Projects#personalized-building... I don't think it's overkill within the context of his full work. Based on my brief skimming, he's coupling the window with a personal device to modulate his environment through reinforcement learning.
  - wott 6y ago
    This "Responsible Environment" website pegs my CPU...
mkeeter 6y ago
Sounds like something coming out of the Responsive Environments group (https://resenv.media.mit.edu/ https://resenv.media.mit.edu/).
- saeranv 6y ago
  Thanks for the link, I think I found our guy! https://resenv.media.mit.edu/#Projects#personalized-building-comfort-control https://resenv.media.mit.edu/#Projects#personalized-building... He published his thesis 2010, which aligns with when Ethan arrived at his office, and if you watch the video at that link, you can see the automated window control system at 1:47. (Also the video is kind of hilarious and awesome in its own right).
  - mrgordon 6y ago
    He’s a cool guy and you’re likely right
  - GeorgeTirebiter 6y ago
    Awesome internet-search foo! I gotta talk with Ethan, I mean, it's cool the window opens automatically. He could have put his wood knob on the open (clockwise) and close (counterclockwise) buttons and achieved preserving the past, and making things easy to use for the present. All good.

Awesome post. Who was the cranky researcher who developed the climate-controlled window system with the Linux box and python scripts? I want to do the same thing.

Scoundreller 6y ago

Same, but it seems overkill. I'm in an old office where the only openable window is consumed by a window A/C unit. I want to put a 120mm fan in a small opening next to it that'll turn on when it's more than 3C cooler outside, and more than 24C inside. Seems like an Arduino would do it.

bbarnett 6y ago
So when it is 21C outside, and 24+C inside is close enough. Two analog temp switches will be far more reliable, easier, and adjustable. (I get the fun with an Arduino, but it is hard to beat century old tech)
saeranv 6y ago
Yeah that's a good way to do it. I think there are a couple of additional ideas that might be worth exploring: - Comfort is a function of multiple factors, not just the dry bulb temperature difference. It includes occupant metabolism, insulation from clothing, radiant heat exchange, air speed, and humidity. This is trivial to solve in the case of a single-person office (just give them control of the window), but more complex once you have multiple occupants with different needs, who are in different locations in the office. I wonder if there's value in using reinforcement learning to customize natural ventilation to optimize the comfort of multiple occupants. - Predicting the temperature the next day, and using a fan to draw in cold night time air into your HVAC ducts when a hot morning/afternoon is expected. This way you can have a reservoir off cool air you can access the next day. - Once you have multiple rooms, and a tall building, there's multiple effects that are worth attempting to coordinate. For example you could coordinate the ventilation of the building air with the stack effect and wind-driven air through the windows, or coordinate the cross-ventilation horizontally through multiple rooms. This would not just modulate temperatures, but also satisfy indoor air quality needs traditionally achieved through the HVAC. Typically a lot of fine-tuning of natural ventilation isn't done because the actual energy/comfort impact for one of these ideas is small relative to complexity of building the system, and the large uncertainty associated with the dynamics of airflow. But my general hypothesis is that with the integration of cheap prediction or RL methods, we can reduce that uncertainty which would permit a more long-tail approach where we can combine multiple small improvements.
squarefoot 6y ago
It could be much simpler. If I understood the problem, a differential amplifier (any opamp would do) wired to the temp sensors would output a voltage proportional to the difference between the two temperatures, plus adjustment. This voltage then can be used to drive a pwm generator wired to a h-bridge that drives a reversible fan that would pump air with speed and direction depending on the difference between two temperatures, so that it could be used both ways too warm up or cool down. The same could also be done the digital way by using for example an uber cheapo ATTiny85 small board wired to the sensors, plus the fan and its driver, then doing all in software. That little critter has just the right amount of ports for the job and then some. Not checked on paper (especially the first) but on principle both should work and also would be extremely cheap.
- phyzome 6y ago
  I have to ask -- are you aware of the existence of bimetallic strips, and how they can perform this function in a completely mechanical way? (No electricity.) It doesn't get you active air movement, of course, but it has worked for years in greenhouses.
  - Scoundreller 6y ago
    My only worry with that is having one end hang out the window. The household round thermostats are still like $35+ each.
  - squarefoot 6y ago
    I know about them; that would be the simplest and safest possible solution indeed, however they are on-off switches and also have a fixed (sometimes excessive) hysteresis which couldn't be ideal for some uses.
saeranv 6y ago
I believe I found the researcher and thesis that informed the window project here: https://resenv.media.mit.edu/#Projects#personalized-building-comfort-control https://resenv.media.mit.edu/#Projects#personalized-building... I don't think it's overkill within the context of his full work. Based on my brief skimming, he's coupling the window with a personal device to modulate his environment through reinforcement learning.
- wott 6y ago
  This "Responsible Environment" website pegs my CPU...

mkeeter 6y ago

Sounds like something coming out of the Responsive Environments group (https://resenv.media.mit.edu/ https://resenv.media.mit.edu/).

saeranv 6y ago
Thanks for the link, I think I found our guy! https://resenv.media.mit.edu/#Projects#personalized-building-comfort-control https://resenv.media.mit.edu/#Projects#personalized-building... He published his thesis 2010, which aligns with when Ethan arrived at his office, and if you watch the video at that link, you can see the automated window control system at 1:47. (Also the video is kind of hilarious and awesome in its own right).
- mrgordon 6y ago
  He’s a cool guy and you’re likely right
- GeorgeTirebiter 6y ago
  Awesome internet-search foo! I gotta talk with Ethan, I mean, it's cool the window opens automatically. He could have put his wood knob on the open (clockwise) and close (counterclockwise) buttons and achieved preserving the past, and making things easy to use for the present. All good.