Vincenzo Gentile

The accurate assessment of Indoor Air Quality is crucial for occupant health, yet traditional methods for evaluating ventilation rates, such as tracer gas techniques using photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS), face limitations in cost, logistics, and response time. This study presents the development and validation of a low-cost, fast-response sensor system for tracer gas measurement, capable of detecting multiple gases. The sensor employs a Non-Dispersive Infrared (NDIR) detector with wireless communication based on the asynchronous Bleak protocol, enabling spatially resolved IAQ monitoring. Laboratory validation using SF ₆ as tracer gas in a small volume of 40 liters and against the PAS reference device demonstrated an accuracy within ±20% for ventilation rates between 1 and 7 air changes per hour (ACH). Unlike PAS, which provides one measurement per minute, the low-cost sensor captures up to 50 readings per second, offering superior tracking of transient ventilation events and dynamic IAQ variations. The results suggest that this system provides a practical alternative for real-time IAQ monitoring, supporting energy-efficient and health-conscious building management.

Using 3DP building components as indoor passive humidity regulators can enhance indoor quality while reducing energy usage for active ventilation and air conditioning. This study optimizes the Moisture Buffering Value (MBV) of highly hygroscopic 3DP claddings, focusing on design approaches that increase surface area for moisture transfer. Although chemical additives boost MBV, effectiveness is restricted by limited wall area available and shallow penetration depth. Components with complex geometries fabricated via Liquid Deposition Modeling (LDM) offer extended surfaces to enhance mass transfer. This study implemented a multi-platform workflow in Python and Grasshopper for modifying morphological features of 3DP of components with Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS) lattices to improve total moisture transfer.

In an era of diminishing water resources, Atmospheric Water Generators (AWG) offer an innovative solution to address the global water crisis by harnessing alternative local water sources. Recent advances in AWG technology have demonstrated the feasibility of converting atmospheric moisture into potable water, making AWGs suitable for use as domestic appliances and positioning them as key players in tackling the water-energy nexus. In this context, efficient data collection and management from AWG systems are critical for improving technological capabilities and performance optimization. This work presents an Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem that integrates IoT-enabled AWG machines, utilizing a biopolymer for water generation, and an IoT platform to collect, store, and manage data from these devices. We enhance existing AWG machines with IoT functionalities, allowing for remote monitoring and control of a fleet of units. Additionally, we demonstrate the implementation of this ecosystem in a real-world scenario, enabling the management and oversight of operational AWGmachines. Communication tests were conducted to evaluate transmission performance. Since AWGs may be located in remote regions, we tested the scenario in which AWGs are connected to the Internet via Low Earth Orbit Satellites Internet Service Providers (e.g. Starlink). The results showed that latency reached values around 100 ms, and less than 1 s even for the extreme scenario of total network congestion, guaranteeing that the data transmission latency is within acceptable limits for this application, ensuring effective monitoring and control of the AWG systems.

The rapid deployment of emergency tents for airborne disease containment necessitates effective and sustainable approaches. This study introduces an innovative emergency tent prototype, developed within the INITIATE ² project by WFP and WHO, that leverages natural ventilation to mitigate airborne transmission risks when humanitarian tents are deployed in response to epidemics. The tent features a two‐zone design with a transparent barrier separating the patient area from the healthcare operator zone and exploits a suitable airflow path to reduce cross‐contamination. In order to overcome the constraints imposed by the logistic of the on‐site measurements, a novel asynchronous single‐gas tracer decay methodology combined with a multizone gray box model was developed, enabling both on‐site experimental testing of ventilation effectiveness and estimation of airborne pathogen concentrations for infection transmission risk analysis. This approach allowed for the quantification of interzonal exchanges and ventilation rates under various window configurations, simulating different natural ventilation regimes. Multiple ventilation scenarios were evaluated, revealing that partial windows opening (Scenario 2, with Scenario 1 being windows closed) optimized airflow, achieving up to 15 air changes per hour (ACH), a value aligned with CDC and WHO guidelines. Instead, fully open windows (Scenario 3) increased the ACH in the patient area but compromised, to a certain extent, the containment of the pathogens in the healthcare operator zone. Results highlighted, for all the tested scenarios, an unintended air recirculation between the patient and the doctor zones. While the gray box model effectively estimated flow rates across scenarios, it encountered limitations at ACH > 20 due to the photoacoustic equipment’s sampling constraints. The relatively slow acquisition time impacted on the data accuracy during rapid decay phases, where ventilation time constants were on the order of minutes. The design of the transparent barrier reflects a deliberate trade‐off between airtightness and operational functionality, with the field methodology enabling an evidence‐based assessment of its performance. These findings emphasize the need for refined airflow management and highlight the potential of natural ventilation in emergency healthcare settings. Future research directions include the development of high sampling rate, multigas, and multipoint monitoring tools, as well as enhanced tent designs that improve airtightness of the transparent barrier.