While the COVID-19 pandemic continues, there is a need to look ahead for innovate new ways to make public buildings safer for both visitors and employees.
Dr. Zheng O’Neill of the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering and a team of Texas A&M University researchers are seeking to develop a smart ventilation control system with grant support from the National Science Foundation (NSF). O’Neill, who serves as associate professor and J. Mike Walker ’66 Faculty Fellow II in the department, is partnering on the project with Dr. Qingsheng Wang, associate professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering.
The goal of the project is to investigate the viability of a smart ventilation control system that could operate with a normal mode and an emergency “pandemic mode,” as needed, for common public buildings such as offices, classrooms and retail stores. With proper measures, the built environment could help minimize the potential for COVID-19 infection.