TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY

INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING
THAPATHALI CAMPUS

A Project Proposal
On:
“DESIGN OF SMART HVAC CONTROL SYSYEM”

Prepared by:
Nabin Dhungel (THA076BIE025)
Nabin Prakash Poudel (THA076BIE026)
Oliver Tamrakar (THA076BIE028)
Ramesh Panth (THA076BIE032)

Submitted to:
Department of Industrial Engineering
Thapathali Campus
Kathmandu, Nepal

June, 2023
 Date: 14/06/2023
To
The Project Supervisor,
Department of Industrial Engineering
Thapathali Campus

SUBJECT: Cover Letter for proposal approval

Dear Sir,
Submitted for your review is our proposal entitled ‘DESIGN OF SMART HVAC
CONTROL SYSYEM’. The report is submitted as requirement of course entitled ‘Final
Year Project’. Within this document, you will find the basic introductions, objectives,
methodology and expected outcome from the proposed work (Listed in detail in the table of
content section).
We hope for your keen review and future assistance in this work along with the approval.

Sincerely,
Nabin Dhungel (THA076BIE025)
Nabin Prakash Poudel (THA076BIE026)
Oliver Tamrakar (THA076BIE028)
Ramesh Panth (THA076BIE032)

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES..................................................................................................................iv
LIST OF TABLES.....................................................................................................................v
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS...................................................................................................vi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION........................................................................................1
1.1. Context / Background of Study.......................................................................................1
1.2. Statement of Problem......................................................................................................1
1.3. Objectives........................................................................................................................2
1.3.1. General Objective.....................................................................................................2
1.3.2. Specific Objectives...................................................................................................2
1.4. Significance/ Scope of project........................................................................................2
1.5. Limitations......................................................................................................................2
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................2
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY..................................................................................4
3.1. Theoretical/ Conceptual Framework...........................................................................4
3.2. Study Design...............................................................................................................4
3.3. Work Schedule/ Activity Plan.....................................................................................2
CHAPTER FOUR: BUDGET ESTIMATION..........................................................................4
4.1. Estimated Budget.........................................................................................................4
CHAPTER FIVE: EXPECTED OUTCOME............................................................................5
BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................................................................................................6

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 LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 3-1 Project Development flow chart4
Figure 3-2 Gantt Chart showing project work schedule3

iv
 LIST OF TABLES
Table 3-1: Timeline for the Project
Table 4-2: Budget Estimation

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 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
AI - Artificial Intelligence
HVAC - Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
IoT - Internet of Things

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 CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Context / Background of Study
The smart HVAC control system is an innovative approach that integrates advanced
technologies, such as sensors, actuators, ad intelligent algorithms, into HVAC systems. It
aims to optimize energy efficiency, enhance comfort levels, and reduce operational costs in
buildings. The HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system plays a crucial
role in providing comfortable indoor environments in residential, commercial, and industrial
buildings. Traditional HVAC systems often operate on fixed schedules and lack adaptive
control capabilities, leading to energy wastage and suboptimal comfort levels. With the
advancement of technology, there is a growing demand for smart HVAC control systems that
can optimize energy efficiency, improve indoor air quality, and provide personalized
comfort. 
The design of a smart HVAC control system aims to integrate cutting-edge technologies such
as Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and advanced sensors to create an
intelligent and adaptive HVAC system. This system will be capable of autonomously
adjusting temperature, humidity, air quality parameters, and ventilation rates based on real-
time data and user preferences. 
By incorporating intelligent control algorithms and predictive analytics, the smart HVAC
control system can optimize energy consumption, reduce carbon footprint, and enhance
occupant comfort. It can adapt to changing environmental conditions, occupancy patterns,
and weather forecasts to ensure efficient operation and comfortable indoor environments.
Furthermore, remote monitoring and control capabilities enable building managers to track
system performance, detect faults, and make informed decisions for maintenance and energy
management. 

1.2. Statement of Problem

The HVAC industry has traditionally relied on conventional control systems for heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning. These systems often lack intelligent and adaptive features,
leading to energy inefficiencies, poor indoor air quality, and limited user comfort. The static
nature of these systems results in suboptimal performance and increased energy consumption,
leading to higher operating costs and environmental impact. Additionally, the lack of remote
monitoring and control capabilities makes it challenging for building managers to efficiently
manage HVAC systems and identify potential issues in real-time.
Our project aims to address the limitations of traditional HVAC control systems by
developing a smart HVAC control system. The proposed system will leverage IoT
technologies, intelligent control algorithms, and advanced sensors to enable real-time
monitoring, analysis, and control of HVAC parameters. It will provide dynamic and adaptive
control, optimizing energy consumption, improving indoor air quality, and enhancing user
comfort. The system will incorporate features such as personalized settings, remote

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monitoring, and fault detection to empower building managers with proactive control and
maintenance capabilities.
The smart HVAC control system will dynamically adjust HVAC parameters such as
temperature, airflow, and ventilation rates based on real-time data and predictive analytics.
This adaptive control approach will result in significant energy savings, improved indoor air
quality, and enhanced occupant comfort. The system will also include a user-friendly
interface that allows building managers to configure settings, monitor system performance,
and control HVAC operations remotely.
By implementing the proposed smart HVAC control system, we aim to revolutionize the
HVAC industry by introducing intelligent, energy-efficient, and user-centric solutions. This
system will not only address the limitations of traditional control systems but also contribute
to environmental sustainability and cost savings for building owners and managers.

1.3. Objectives
The objectives of this projects are broadly categorized under general objective and specific
objectives.
1.3.1. General Objective
The general objective of the project is:
 To design and develop a smart HVAC control system that enhances energy efficiency,
optimizes indoor environmental conditions (like temperature, humidity, etc.) and also
enhance user satisfaction.
1.3.2. Specific Objectives
The specific objectives of the project are:
 To design a smart HVAC control system capable of real-time monitoring, analysis,
and control.
 To develop intelligent control algorithms and predictive analytics for optimizing
energy consumption and improving indoor air quality.
 To integrate IoT technologies and advanced sensors to enable seamless connectivity
and data exchange between HVAC components.
 To create a user-friendly interface for system configuration, monitoring, and control.

1.4. Significance/ Scope of project

The Smart HVAC control system proposal aims to address the need for an innovative and
efficient approach to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) in buildings. The
proposed system will utilize advanced technologies and intelligent algorithms to optimize
energy consumption, improve indoor air quality, and enhance occupant comfort. By
integrating remote monitoring and control functionalities, the system will enable real-time

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adjustments and predictive maintenance, ensuring optimal HVAC performance and
minimizing downtime. The expected outcomes of this design include significant energy
savings, reduced operational costs, improved thermal comfort, and enhanced environmental
sustainability. Additionally, the proposed system will provide valuable data insights for
building management, allowing for proactive decision-making and continuous optimization.
Through the implementation of the Smart HVAC control system, buildings can achieve
increased energy efficiency, enhanced occupant well-being, and reduced environmental
impact.

1.5. Limitations
The proposed study has the following limitations:
 The evaluation of the smart HVAC control system will be limited to a controlled
environment and may not consider all possible real world scenarios.
 The project budget may impose constraints on the selection of sensors, IoT devices,
and hardware components.
 The project timeline may limit the depth of analysis and testing, requiring further
research and development for full-scale implementation.
 The study will focus on the design and development aspects, and the actual
implementation of the system in a specific building will not be covered.
Overall, the proposed study aims to provide a comprehensive design and analysis
framework for a smart HVAC control system, taking into account its potential benefits,
limitations, and scope of application.

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 CHAPTER TWO:
LITERATURE REVIEW
The design of a smart HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) control system has
gained significant attention in recent years due to its potential for improving energy
efficiency, comfort, and indoor air quality. This literature review aims to explore the existing
research and developments related to smart HVAC control systems, highlighting their key
features, benefits, and challenges. The review will also identify the gaps in the current
knowledge and propose areas for further research.
(Maheen Hasmi, Ibrahim A. Alkabiri, Khaled w. Alnajjar, Haitham Hatim, 2021)This paper
presents design of an efficient air conditioning control system that decides the number of air
conditioning units to be operated based on the occupancy of a building. The objective of the
research was to develop an automatic system using inexpensive electronic components and
basic control methods in order to reduce electric power wastage in schools, colleges, offices,
and homes. In this research, several experiments have been conducted to determine the
optimum parameters for designing a cooling control set-up. The hardware implementation of
the smart control system is presented and its performance is assessed. The proposed smart
system was installed in building NJ10 at University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as a
pilot project. As per the observations, energy consumption and cost can be reduced by a
considerable amount, making the system efficient, when the proposed set-up is installed.
(Zhipeng Deng, Qingyan Chen, 2020)Since people spend most of their time indoors, it is
important to create comfortable indoor environments for building occupants. However,
unsuitable thermostat settings lead to energy waste and an undesirable indoor environment,
especially in multi-occupant rooms. This study aimed to develop and validate a control
strategy for the HVAC systems in multi-occupant offices using physiological
parameters measured by wristbands. An ANN model was used to predict thermal sensation
from indoor environmental and physiological parameters such as air temperature, relative
humidity, clothing level, wrist skin temperature, skin relative humidity and heart rate. The
model was trained by data collected in seven multi-occupant offices in the course of a year,
and it was able to predict the thermal sensation with high accuracy. Next, a control strategy
for the HVAC system was developed to improve the thermal comfort of all the occupants in
the room. The control system was smart and could adjust the thermostat set point
automatically in real time. The system was validated by means of both experiments and
numerical simulations. In most cases, the occupants’ thermal comfort level was improved.
After using the wristband control, over half of the occupants experienced a neutral sensation,
and fewer than 5% still felt uncomfortable. The energy consumption by the HVAC system
with the wristband control was almost the same as when the constant set point was used.
After coupling with occupancy-based control by means of lighting sensors or wristband
Bluetooth, the heating and cooling loads were reduced by 90% and 30%, respectively, in
interior offices. Therefore, the smart HVAC control system can effectively control the indoor
environment for thermal comfort and energy saving.

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(Bijay Kumar Prajapati, 2020)Energy efficiency is one of the most important attempts in the
world because of various environmental, economic and developmental aspects of energy. The
climate change and its adverse effect due to human activities has taken the central stage in the
current global political agenda and global news. In this context, energy performance of
buildings has been a critical issue since buildings constitute approximately half of total
energy consumption. Architects, Designers and Planners has continuously searched and
experimented with many energy efficient strategies and come up with many efficient passive
design strategies. One of the new concepts in rise in terms of building efficiency is smart
building which has been attractive recently, contributes to the issue with smart technologies.
While some passive design techniques which have been used throughout the history are still
applicable for energy saving, the study is focused to evaluate the impact of technological
devices and traditional methods and how the two strategies combine together performs in the
location where the climate is temperate. While researching impacts of various active or
passive building components to energy efficiency, the study not only focused on heating and
cooling load reduction but also lighting electricity saving by use of daylight. Selected various
active systems and passive strategies is tested on a base-case module, which is a apartment
flat in an existing residential tower in Kathmandu valley, i.e. Guna Colony Apartment,
Shinamangal and LP Apartment, Lazimpat by the help of computer based energy simulations.
Systems and strategies are selected in the light of literature by considering wide availability
in market and also the limitation of the energy simulation software: Energyplus. During the
process, three series of simulation variations including eighteen different scenarios are tested.
Only active systems is tested in the first series and only passive strategies in the second.
Finally, impact of using both active systems and passive strategies together is tested in the
third series in both the building Cases. The result shows that with the combination of active
and passive strategies the overall energy of about 30 percent can be saved in the multi-
residential building in Kathmandu.

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 CHAPTER THREE:
METHODOLOGY
3.1. Theoretical/ Conceptual Framework
HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning. It refers to the technology and
systems used to control the indoor environmental conditions of a building or a space,
including temperature, humidity, air quality, and airflow. The purpose of HVAC systems is to
provide thermal comfort, ensure ventilation and air quality, control humidity levels, improve
energy efficiency, promote health and well-being, and protect equipment and materials. 

3.2. Study Design

The block diagram that represents the flowchart of project development that need to be
performed during the entire work period can be shown below.

Figure 3-1Project Development flow chart

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 3.3. Work Schedule/ Activity Plan
Our work schedule is shown as follows:
1) Project Initiation Phase:
o Define project objectives and scope
o Identify key stakeholders and their roles
o Conduct a feasibility study and risk assessment
2) Requirements Gathering and Analysis:
o Gather functional and non-functional requirements
o Analyze existing HVAC systems and identify improvement areas
o Define user personas and scenarios
3) Design and Planning:
o Develop system architecture and component specifications
o Design the user interface and control mechanisms
o Create a detailed project plan and allocate resources
4) Development and Implementation:
o Implement the hardware components (sensors, actuators, controllers)
o Develop software for data processing, control algorithms, and user interface
o Integrate the hardware and software components
5) Testing and Quality Assurance:
o Conduct unit testing for individual components
o Perform system integration testing
o Ensure compliance with performance and safety standards
6) Deployment and User Training:
o Install the Smart HVAC System in the target environment
o Conduct user training sessions
o Address any initial issues or user feedback
7) Maintenance and Support:
o Establish a maintenance plan for regular system updates
o Provide ongoing technical support and troubleshooting

Here's a sample table representing a high-level timeline for the project:

Table 3-1: Timeline for the Project

Activity Duration (in weeks)

Project Initiation 2
Requirements Gathering and Analysis 4
Design and Planning 3
Development and Implementation 8
Testing and Quality Assurance 4
Deployment and User Training 2
Maintenance and Support Continuous

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Here, the durations provided are just estimates and can vary based on the complexity and
scale of our project.

Gantt Chart
0 5 10 15 20 25

Project Initiation

Requirement gathering and analysis

Design and planning

Development and analysis

Testing and quality assurance

Deployment and user training

Start (from initiation) Duration (in weeks)

Figure 3-2 Gantt chart showing project work schedule

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 CHAPTER FOUR:
BUDGET ESTIMATION
4.1. Estimated Budget
The estimated budget for our proposed project is presented as follows:
Table 4-2: Budget Estimation

S.N. Particulars Qty. Rate Total (NRs)

(NRs)
1 Arduino  1 2200 2200
2 Temperature Sensor  1 180 180
3 Humidity Sensor  1 450 450
4 Air Quality Sensor  1 500 500
5 Variable Speed Drive(3-28V,80W,3A) 1 750 750
6 Ball Valve  1 400 400
7 Servo Motor 1 900 900
8 Sheet Metal (1-2 mm thick, per sq. ft) 40 sq. ft. 67 2680
9 4-Channel Relay Module  1 500 500
10 LED Display  1 1350 1350
11 LCD Display  1 2090 2090
12 Power Supply (12V)  1 300 300
13 Fan(12V) 1 250 250
14 Pump(8W) 1 1300 1300
15 Connecting Cables 10m 15 150
16 Actuator 1 3000 3000
17 Thermostat  1 650 650
18 Miscellaneous (Mounting Hardware: screws, nuts, - - 2350
bolts) 
Total 20000

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 CHAPTER FIVE:
EXPECTED OUTCOME
The smart HVAC control system is expected to demonstrate the use of control capabilities,
data monitoring, and energy efficiency features of the system. This is possible through the
integration of several key components like sensors, actuators, control algorithms, control unit
and connectivity features. The design of smart HVAC control systems offers numerous
benefits, including improved energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and indoor air quality. By
leveraging sensor technologies, data analytics, and machine learning techniques, these
systems can optimize HVAC operation in real-time. However, challenges related to
interoperability, security, and system complexity need to be addressed to fully realize the
potential of these systems. Future research should focus on developing standardized
protocols, advanced control algorithms, and user-friendly interfaces to facilitate the
widespread adoption of smart HVAC control systems. 
The expected outcomes of our smart HVAC control system are as follows: 
 Showcase a user-friendly interface
 Highlight the integration of connectivity features for remote monitoring and control
 Reduce energy consumption compared to conventional HVAC systems
 Lower operational costs due to energy efficiency improvements
 Do valuable data collection and analysis for future optimizations.  

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bijay Kumar Prajapati, T. R. (2020). Smart Building Technologies and Passive Strategies for
Energy. Proceedings of 8th IOE Graduate Conference, 8, pp. 560-581. Kathmandu.
Retrieved from http://conference.ioe.edu.np/ioegc8/papers/ioegc-8-070-80095.pdf
Maheen Hasmi, Ibrahim A. Alkabiri, Khaled w. Alnajjar, Haitham Hatim. (2021, May).
Design of a Smart Air Conditioning Controller Based on the Occupancy of a
Building. International Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering &
Telecommunications, 10, 160-167. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351844905_Design_of_a_Smart_Air_Condi
tioning_Controller_Based_on_the_Occupancy_of_a_Building
Zhipeng Deng, Qingyan Chen. (2020, February). Development and validation of a smart
HVAC control system for multi-occupant offices by using occupants’ physiological
signals from wristband. Energy and Buildings, 214. Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378778819336060

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