Implementing indoor climate control using a cyber-physical systems approach

Abstract

Maintaining a comfortable temperature, reducing humidity, and optimizing airflow constitute indoor climate control. This improves the air quality by controlling moisture and regulating the air. Climate-sensitive situations, like those in Intensive Care Units (ICU) and laboratories that follow Bio-safety levels (BSL), heavily depend on this technology to ensure health and safety by keeping the environment sterile by manipulating the airflow. The extent of this technology is more comprehensive than these situations. This solution can benefit people living in harsh conditions where comfort and productivity are seldom limited. This study proposes a novel cyber-physical system (CPS) approach by considering individual parameters influencing indoor climate, such as temperature, humidity, and occupancy. A distributed approach where multiple custom-made units that house a microcontroller and sensors such as DHT-11, DHT-22, ENS160, and PIR motion sensor are kept in strategic locations that communicate with each other over Things board, and the air conditioning unit present in the enclosed space ensures optimal indoor climate control. Considering the occupancy data, the system adjusts itself in real time, optimizing energy consumption and leading to localized climate regulation. This study explores the application of control logic in a small-scale Peltier device system. The objective is to develop a control system that efficiently regulates the Peltier device's temperature. This study investigates control strategies, i.e., Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control, to maintain precise temperature control in the system. The control method is analyzed for its effectiveness, robustness, and energy efficiency in the context of the Peltier device. A 3°C reduction was observed for 3 minutes in the scaled system. © 2025 Author(s).