Expert Systems with Applications 37 (2010) 47874795

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Expert Systems with Applications

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/eswa

Using a fuzzy Poka-Yoke based controller to restrain emissions in naturally

ventilated environments
Omar Al-Araidah a,*, Mohammad Abdel Kareem Jaradat b, Wafa Batayneh b
a
Industrial Engineering Department, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan
b
Mechanical Engineering Department, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Keywords: Gas poisoning as a result of fuel-burning inside conned environments claims the lives of many people
Gas poisoning worldwide. Gas poisoning treatment consists of administering oxygen therapy ranging from access to
Poka-Yoke fresh air to breathing 100% oxygen by a tight tting oxygen mask. Building on these facts, this article uses
Fuzzy logic Poka-Yoke concepts to prevent, alert, and control the quality of air in naturally ventilated environments.
The proposed controller ensures the access of victims to fresh air until help arrives. We target naturally
ventilated indoor environments where no other ventilation approaches are installed. The proposed sys-
tem utilizes fuzzy logic to control the speed and cycle time of two DC-motor-powered fans based on the
levels of the oxides sensed by gas detectors. As a result, fresh air is allowed into the environment to
replace the polluted air utilizing one fan set while hunted air is exhausted to the outdoors using the sec-
ond fan set. The proposed system is simulated where obtained results for various scenarios conrm the
many advantages of the system over natural ventilation.
2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction Natural ventilation sources such as windows, doors, and venti-

During cold seasons, people block available sources for natural
ventilation to keep good thermal climate inside the indoor envi-
ronment. Generally, such warm climate is attained through burn-
ing charcoal or other fossil fuels. In addition to heating up the
area, fuel combustion oods the area with various toxic gases that
claim the lives of many people worldwide due to gas poisoning.
While this is considered a suicidal method in some countries, it
is more common during the cold season in many countries.
Among the most toxic emissions are carbon monoxide (CO) and
carbon dioxide CO2 . While carbon monoxide has no odor, color,
or taste, carbon dioxide has a sour taste and a stinging sensation
at high concentration levels. In the literature, various authors dis-
cussed the dangers of exposure to CO (NIOSH, 2006; Omaye,
2002; Wikipedia, 2008b), indoor air quality (NIOSH, 2008), and
impact of using fusel-fuel powered equipment in conned spaces
(NIOSH, 1996). In their article, NIOSH (1996) show the rabid
buildup of CO in conned areas even with ordinary automated
ventilation system in use. This study illustrates that the size of
the room and the rate of ventilation impact highly the buildup
of the gas.
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +962 2 7201000x22353; fax: +962 2 7201074;
mobile: +962 777531759.
E-mail address: alarao@just.edu.jo (O. Al-Araidah).
lation shafts allow fresh air from outside to enter that result in
replacing or reducing the percentage of toxic gases in the conned
area. In addition to removing unwanted gases, frequent ventilation
reduces humidity, odors, and other harmful substances from the
area. In many applications, mechanical ventilation systems are
used to allow fresh air to ow into the conned space through a
network of fans and ducts. In the literature, many researchers
addressed this problem. Proposed methods focused on the use of
Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems where
the quality of the air is monitored and controlled by various classi-
cal control methods or intelligent approaches (Al-Jarrah, 2004;
Durovic & Kovacevic, 2004; Eftekhari & Marjanovic, 2003; Hamdi
& Lachiver, 1998; Huaguang & Cai, 2002; Jaradat & Al-Nimr, 2009;
Rafeal, Jorge, & Oscar, 2003). Moreover, researchers provided par-
tial solutions considering the treatment for one type of gases or
odors by controlling its concentration. For their relatively high
installation and running costs, HVAC systems are not common in
homes, schools, and workshops. In Jaradat and Al-Nimr (2009),
the authors utilized a fuzzy controlled vacuum fan to control levels
of unwanted gases and odors in naturally ventilated environments.
Furthermore, the article provides a through survey of literature
concerning the use of fuzzy logic in HVAC and ventilation systems.
Poka-Yoke or Mistake-Proong, developed by Shigeo Shingo in
the early 1960s, is a quality improvement methodology to prevent
mistakes from happening to minimize the negative consequences
(Krajewski, Ritzman, & Malhotra, 2007). According to Shingo

0957-4174/$ - see front matter 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.eswa.2009.12.037
4788 O. Al-Araidah et al. / Expert Systems with Applications 37 (2010) 47874795

(1985) defects are avoidable if errors are detected and eliminated

A/D
beforehand. The Poka-Yoke approach utilizes automatic devices
or methods to detect problems before or as they occur using a
Poka-Yoke device to minimize the negative consequences. Human CO2 Sensor
unintentionally make mistakes due to absentmindedness; misun- CO Sensor Fan2
derstanding because of the lack of knowledge with a process or Fuzzy
procedures; and delays in judgment. According to the Poka-Yoke Controller
approach, occasional errors may warrant warnings whereas fre- Fan1
quent errors, or those with large negative consequences, may call Target Space
for a control Poka-Yoke. The system aims at setting limits on
how an activity is performed in order to force the correct comple-
tion of the operation. In industry, Zero Quality Control (ZQC) Poka-
Yoke takes a variety of forms including (1) 100% inspection; (2) Fig. 1. Layout of the proposed system.
identifying defects as close to the source of the defect as possible;
(3) taking corrective actions upon detecting a defect to avoid
repeating that defect; and (4) designing the processes to avoid pro- Table 1
ducing defects (Evans & Lindsay, 2005; Wikipedia, 2008c). The effects of carbon monoxide in parts per million.
Four reasons can be traced back to gas poisoning in conned
Concentration Effect
spaces mostly related to human behavior. These include intention- level (ppm)
ally blocking natural ventilation openings, lack of knowledge of the
35 Headache and dizziness within 68 h of constant exposure
consequences of exposure to toxic gases, delay in the judgment 100 Slight headache in 23 h
when levels of toxic gases increased, and malfunction of used 400 Frontal headache within 12 h
equipment that increases gas emissions. A fth and critical reason 800 Dizziness, nausea, and convulsions within 45 min. Insensible
for delayed human response to gas poisoning is the inability to de- within 2 h
1600 Headache, dizziness, and nausea within 20 min. Death in less
tect increased levels of toxic gases using his natural senses.
than 2 h
Although many countries regulate to enhance the use of articial 3200 Headache, dizziness and nausea in 510 min. Death within
detectors, people tend to ignore intentionally or unintentionally 30 min
alarms associated with potential hazards. Human errors derive 6400 Headache and dizziness in 12 min. Death in less than
the need for the use of Poka-Yoke devices to prevent such mistakes 20 min
12,800 Unconsciousness after 23 breaths. Death in less than 3 min
(Evans & Lindsay, 2005). In this paper, we utilize Poka-Yoke to pre-
vent, alert, and control the quality of air inside naturally ventilated
conned areas. Unlike simple gas or smoke detectors, the proposed
system helps save lives by providing fresh air to victims until help
Table 2
arrives. Furthermore, the system is relatively cheaper than HVAC The effects of carbon dioxide in parts per million.
systems and at the same time at least as efcient.
Concentration Effect
The rest of the paper is organized as follows: Section 2 presents
level (ppm)
background on gas poisoning. Section 3 discusses the design of the
>1000 Discomfort in more than 20% of occupants
Poka-Yoke system. In Section 4, we discuss the proposed fuzzy
2000 The majority of occupants will feel a signicant degree of
controller. Section 5 provides results attained from experiments discomfort, and many will develop nausea and headaches
to assess the performance of the model. Concluded remarks and fu- 5000 OSHA limit for concentrations in the workplace for
ture work are presented in the last section. prolonged periods
10,000 Under continuous exposure, occupants are likely to feel
drowsy
14,000 The concentration of oxygen in air will have decreased
2. Background from 20.9% to 19.5%. Reducing the oxygen concentration
leads to Hypoxia
Poisoning by gases is an important problem due to its high inci- >20,000 Heaviness in the chest and/or more frequent and deeper
respirations
dence and fetal consequences. Carbon monoxide poisoning is the
30,000 NIOSH limit for concentrations in the workplace for up to
main cause of death by poisoning in many countries (Omaye, 10 min
2002). Moreover, the buildup of carbon dioxide in conned areas 40,000 Considered immediately dangerous to life and health by
reduces the level of Oxygen O2 in the air. This causes Hypoxia NIOSH
(lack of oxygen) leading to shortness of breath and unconscious- 50,000 Exposure for more than half an hour leads to signs of acute
hypercapnia (NIOSH)
ness for many people. Higher levels of carbon dioxide may cause
70,000100,000 Results in unconsciousness in only a few minutes (NIOSH)
poisoning that may result in death. Safe exposure levels to toxic
gases are signicantly less for children and the elderly. In this sec-
tion, we concentrate on the impact of exposure to different levels
of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide on human. Furthermore, industrialized countries (Omaye, 2002). In the United States, more
we utilize recommended exposure levels to design a Poka-Yoke than 40,000 people per year seek medical attention for carbon
safety control system to prevent gas poisoning in conned spaces. monoxide poisoning. Moreover, about 200 people die each year
Conned spaces include rooms in homes, workshops, ofces, from carbon monoxide poisoning associated with home fuel-
schools, and clubs. burning heating equipment, more than 500 die from uninten-
Carbon monoxide (CO) or the silent killer is a signicantly tional CO poisoning, and more than 2000 commit suicide by
toxic gas and has no odor, taste, or color that makes it hard to intentionally poisoning themselves (Buckley, Isbister, Stokes, &
people to detect (Wikipedia, 2008b). It forms from the partial Juurlink, 2005; Wikipedia, 2008b). CO accumulates on the ground,
combustion of organic matter when there is a reduced availability so that if poisoning causes loss of consciousness, the amount of
of oxygen present during the combustion process. CO is a signif- the gas inhaled increases and so the possibility of death. The
icantly toxic gas responsible for 50% of fatal poisoning in many inhalation of the gas can lead to signicant toxicity in the central
 O. Al-Araidah et al. / Expert Systems with Applications 37 (2010) 47874795 4789

1L LM M MH H 1L LM M MH H

Degree of membership

Degree of membership
0.8 0.8
0.6 0.6
0.4 0.4
0.2 0.2
0 0
0 0.5 1 0 0.5 1
CO Level CO2 Level

1L LM M MH H 1L LM M MH H
Degree of membership

Degree of membership
0.8 0.8
0.6 0.6
0.4 0.4
0.2 0.2
0 0
0 0.5 1 0 0.5 1
FAN1 Fan2

Fig. 2. Membership functions for input and output variables.

Table 3
nervous system and the heart that are most dependent on oxygen Fuzzy rules applied to gas level control.
use. Symptoms of high or prolonged exposure to CO include
Sample linguistic rules
headaches and dizziness, followed by unconsciousness, respira-
IF CO2 L is L AND COL is L THEN FS1 is L AND FS2 is L
tory failure, and death (Wikipedia, 2008b). As a result, OSHA lim- IFCO2 L is L AND COL is M THENFS1 is M AND FS2 is M
its long-term workplace exposure levels to 35 ppm (Friedman, IF CO2 L is M AND COL is MH THEN FS1 is H AND FS2 is MH
2008b; Wikipedia, 2008b). IF CO2 L is H AND COL is H THEN FS1 is H AND FS2 is H
Carbon dioxide CO2 is a colorless, odorless gas that exists in CO level
fresh air at concentrations between 300 and 600 ppm, depending
Output Fan1 L LM M MH H
on the location (Wikipedia, 2008a). At high concentrations, CO2
Expert rules used by the fuzzy system for fan1
has a sour taste and a stinging sensation. CO2 is generated during
CO2 level L L LM M MH H
respiration and as a byproduct of the combustion of fossil fuels. LM LM LM M H H
The buildup of carbon dioxide caused a great loss of lives at Lake M LM M H H H
Nyos in Cameroon in 1986 killing nearly 2000 people (Holloway, MH MH H H H H
2001). In conned spaces, increasing the level of CO2 reduces the H H H H H H
CO level
level of Oxygen O2 in the air. At lower levels of O2 , many people
experience shortness of breath and unconsciousness. Symptoms Output Fan2 L LM M MH H
of high or prolonged exposure to CO2 include headache, increased Expert rules used by the fuzzy system for fan2
heart rate, dizziness, fatigue, rapid breathing, visual and hearing CO2 level L L LM M MH H
LM LM LM M MH H
dysfunctions, unconsciousness, and death (Friedman, 2008a;
M M M M MH H
Wikipedia, 2008a). Typical indoor concentration levels of CO2 MH MH MH MH H H
range between 600 and 800 ppm depending on the number of H H H H H H
occupants. In areas with inadequate ventilation and heavy occu-
pants this level may measure around 1000 ppm (Friedman,
2008a). The effects of exposure to elevated levels of CO2 vary
by individual and with exposure level, and exposure duration. a high level of gas is detected giving people the chance to ventilate
Safe exposure levels are signicantly less for infants, children, the area or safely evacuate the building.
and the elderly. Therefore, allowable high and prolonged expo- Utilizing Poka-Yoke concepts, we present a model based on
sure must take into account the presence of such individuals in possible or eminent human errors. We build our model on two
the living or workplace. null hypotheses including (1) occupants will fail to detect the
Gas poisoning treatment consists of administering oxygen ther- increased level of CO or CO2 , and (2) occupants will fail to venti-
apy ranging from access to fresh air to breathing 100% oxygen by a late the hunted area at high levels of the gases. Since the results
tight tting oxygen mask (Buckley et al., 2005; Omaye, 2002). This of such error are rather fatal, we utilize the statistics of gas
requires the immediate removal of the victim from the exposure poisoning, the properties of the gas, and the symptoms of poison-
and seeking medical treatment. Poisoning can be prevented by ing especially unconsciousness presented above to conclude that
educating the public on the safe use of toxic gas-generating appli- we can not reject any of the two null hypotheses. Therefore, we
ances and equipment, and by the installation of gas detectors. Gas replace human-based gas level controlling system by an auto-
detectors are widely available and are relatively cheap. Due to the mated one consisting of articial sensors, a fuzzy controller,
accumulation of toxic gases at low levels, detectors are usually in- and two fan sets. The proposed control system is detailed in
stalled in around source equipment. The device sounds an alarm if the next section.
4790 O. Al-Araidah et al. / Expert Systems with Applications 37 (2010) 47874795

Fig. 3. Fuzzy surface and output inferences for fuzzy rules.

3. The Poka-Yoke system design
In this section, we present a Mistake-Proong system aiming at
preventing, alerting, and controlling toxic gas levels in conned
areas. Specically, we target the levels of CO and CO2 in living
and work environments with natural ventilation. The proposed
controller aims at maintaining the concentrations of these toxic
gases within the target area within the acceptable levels. The pro-
posed system consists of (1) a Poka-Yoke device (gas sensors) for
monitoring the concentration of target gases in the area; (2) a
fan set mounted at an air inlet basically a window or a ventilation
shaft; and (3) a controller to control the speed and cycle time of the
DC motorized fan. The fan set includes two fans one for exhausting
unwanted matters and another for providing fresh air into the
hunted area. This provides access of poisoned victims to fresh air
until they evacuate the place or until help arrives. The generalized
controller is illustrated in Fig. 1. The two fans are better mounted
distant to prevent short-circuit circulation of air. Even within lim-
ited spaces, a proper use of a ducting system minimizes the
chances of short-circuit circulation of air.
Gas detectors are widely available in the market at reasonable
prices. Common types of CO detectors include biomimetic, electro-
chemical, and semiconductor sensors. A biomimetic carbon mon-
oxide sensor is a gel form of synthetic hemoglobin that darkens
in the presence of CO and lightens without it. This can be seen di-
rectly, or with the aid of a light sensor can operate an alarm. An
 O. Al-Araidah et al. / Expert Systems with Applications 37 (2010) 47874795 4791

1 1

0.8 0.8

CO2 level

CO level
0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
Time Time
(a) Uncontrolled concentration levels of CO 2 and CO.
1 1
Controller Output1

0.8

Controller Output2
0.8

0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
Time Time
(b) Controller outputs to DC-motors of Fan1 and Fan2.
0.025 0.025
CO2 concentration

0.02 0.02
CO concentration

0.015 0.015

0.01 0.01

0.005 0.005

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
Time Time

(c) Net concentrations of CO 2 and CO after using the controller.

Fig. 4. Gas buildup, controller outputs for Fan1 and Fan2, and net concentrations of CO2 and CO after using the controller for the rst scenario.

electrochemical CO sensor is a type of fuel cells that produces a
current proportional to the amount of CO present. A semiconductor
carbon monoxide sensor consists of an assembly of thin wires of
tin dioxide on ceramic base. The presence of CO reduces the resis-
tance of the semiconductor wires allowing enough current through
the integrated circuit to triggering an alarm. In this study, we pro-
pose the use of a semiconductor CO sensor. Common types for CO2
detectors include infrared gas sensors and chemical gas sensors.
Infrared CO2 measures the concentration of the gas based on the
change of the characteristic wavelength of the infrared light. A
chemical CO2 gas sensor consists of layers sensitive to the presence
of CO2 .
The capacity of the fan is selected based on the cubic volume of
the target area, the density of the air, and the required number of air
exchanges per hour. The cubic ow per minute (CFM) of a fan equals
the velocity of air multiplied by the cross sectional area of the duct
enclosing the ow. Building on this, the ow of air can be regulated
by varying the speed of air that is attained by regulating the speed
of the driving fan. In this research, the required velocity of the fan is
constrained by the time available for the poisoning victim before
he/she enters a worse stage. Furthermore, regulating the speed of
the fan saves energy and hence reduces cost.
The design of the controller may vary in complexity from a
simple relay type of controller to complex controllers based on
articial logic. Simple relay controllers utilize a threshold value
of the concentration level of the gas such that the fan is actuated
if the level of the gas exceeded the value of the threshold. The
fan operates at a certain speed for a certain period of time before
it stops. This type of controller is used to control the level of one
gas. In application, various types of relay controllers are used;
the Macurco CM-21A (Macurco.com, 2008) illustrates an example
of a simple CO controller.
The arrangement of the proposed system has multi-input/mul-
ti-output (MIMO). Accordingly, the system cannot be easily mod-
eled or controlled using classical control methods such as PID
controllers due to modeling and implementation complexity. The
complexity of the system increases as the number of inputs in-
creases. In the next section, we present a fuzzy based controller.
Unlike simple controllers, the fuzzy controller takes into account
the concentration levels of multiple gases at the same time. Fuzzy
logic provides a non mathematical model for the addressed prob-
lem, which is more robust compared to classical mathematical
models. Moreover, the development of fuzzy expert rules depends
on human knowledge and actions at different situations. This
makes the system more reliable to handle critical situations. An-
other advantage of fuzzy logic is the ability to modify the system
by adding more inputs to the controller where only the reasoning
expert rules are modied.
4792 O. Al-Araidah et al. / Expert Systems with Applications 37 (2010) 47874795

1 1

0.8 0.8

CO2 level

CO level
0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
Time Time
(a) Uncontrolled concentration levels of CO 2 and CO.
1 1

2
0.8 0.8
Controller Output1

Controller Output
0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
Time Time
(b) Controller outputs to DC-motors of Fan1 and Fan2.
0.025 0.025
CO2 concentration

0.02 0.02
CO concentration

0.015 0.015

0.01 0.01

0.005 0.005

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
Time Time
(c) Net concentrations of CO 2 and CO after using the controller.
Fig. 5. Gas buildup, controller outputs for Fan1 and Fan2, and net concentrations of CO2 and CO after using the controller for the second scenario.

4. The proposed fuzzy controller
Fuzzy logic was rst introduced by Lut Zadieh in 1965. Fuzzy
deals with reasoning or approximation rather than likelihood of
some events. Fuzzy logic utilizes linguistic variables whose values
are words rather than numbers to map input space to output space
(Jaradat & Al-Nimr, 2009). The fuzzy set theory is a generalization
for the classical set theory by allowing the variable in the set to par-
tially belong to the set with a membership value between 0 and 1
(Zadeh, 1992). Fuzzy controllers nd many applications in industry,
appliances, and security applications. The fuzzy controller allows the
interaction of multiple inputs to estimate the value of the output. In
this paper, we utilize fuzzy logic to control the speeds and cycle
times of the two fans (see Fig. 1) based on the concentration levels
of the target gases. The model is aimed at maximizing the effective-
ness of the ventilation system while at the same time saving energy.
In its fuzzication stage, the fuzzy logic controller utilizes
descriptive verbal rules (IF-THEN rules) to describe the relation-
ship among inputs and outputs. A typical form of a verbal rule is
IF input variable IS set X x1 ; x2 ; . . . ; xn , THEN action; IF
X x1 ; x2 ; . . . ; xn , THEN Y y1 . Furthermore, fuzzy logic utilizes
AND, OR, and NOT to describe relationships. The action taken by
the controller is such that all the rules that apply are taken into
consideration. At the fuzzication stage, input values are converted
to truth values (values between 0 and 1) using the membership
functions for input values. The values of the output variables are
then estimated based on the expert knowledge of the behavior of
the system. After that an inference mechanism calculates the de-
gree to which the input data matches the conditions of the fuzzy
rules. It also calculates the rules conclusion based on the matching
degree, combining all the inferred rules into a nal conclusion. Fi-
nally the defuzzication process maps the fuzzy rules output to a
specic answer or action.
In this article, we utilize data collected on the impacts of gas
levels on occupants on developing the fuzzy rules. Table 1 presents
possible effects of CO poisoning at various concentration levels and
time. Moreover, Table 2 illustrates the effects of CO2 at various con-
centration levels (Friedman, 2008a; Wikipedia, 2008a). The volume
discharge rates of the fans, see Fig. 1, are hence regulated by the
time available for the poisoning victim before he/she enters a
worse stage. To this end, we utilize the exposure time period re-
quired to develop a certain health symptom to compute the speeds
of the fans. To illustrate, consider a CO concentration level of
400 ppm in a hunted area; this gives the system a time window
of 12 h to reduce the CO concentration level before an occupant
develops frontal headache. Based on capacity calculations, suf-
cient volumetric ow exchange is attainable by running the fans
at low speeds.
 O. Al-Araidah et al. / Expert Systems with Applications 37 (2010) 47874795 4793

1 1

0.8 0.8

CO2 level

CO level
0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
Time Time
(a) Uncontrolled concentration levels of CO 2 and CO.
1 1
Controller Output1

Controller Output2
0.8 0.8

0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
Time Time
(b) Controller outputs to DC-motors of Fan1 and Fan2.
0.025 0.025
CO2 concentration

CO concentration

0.02 0.02

0.015 0.015

0.01 0.01

0.005 0.005

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
Time Time
(c) Net concentrations of CO 2 and CO after using the controller.
Fig. 6. Gas buildup, controller outputs for Fan1 and Fan2, and net concentrations of CO2 and CO after using the controller for the third scenario.

At this point, we refer the reader to Fig. 1. The two gas sensors,
located inside the hunted area, provide inputs (concentration lev-
els of CO and CO2 ) to the fuzzy controller. Notice that because of
the expected difference between the measurement scales of the
two sensors, a pre-normalization step is required for measured
concentrations before it can be fed into the inference engine. In this
paper, we utilize ve membership functions to describe the nor-
malized input values including Low (L), Low-Medium (ML),
Medium (M), Medium-High (MH), and High (H); lL ; lML ;
lM ; lMH , and lH , respectively (l denotes the membership func-
tion). The inference engine determines the required rotational
speed for each fan over time based on the expert rules. Likewise,
the fan rotational speed is fully described by ve Gaussian mem-
bership functions lL ; lML ; lM ; lMH , and lH . The fan rotational
speed assumes values between zero and the maximum limit speed
for the used fan. Fig. 2 shows the membership functions for the
input and output variables where Gaussian membership functions
are used to describe the variables. Output range between zero and
one characterizes the duty cycle required by the pulse width mod-
ulation (PWM) that controls the DC motor connected to each fan.
For instance, for an output value of one, the fan operates at its full
speed.
Table 3 illustrates the fuzzy rules used in this research. These
rules control the rotational speed of a fan by determining the cor-
rect duty cycle for the DC motor connected to that fan. A total of 25
expert rules are developed based on the possible scenarios of input
states. For instance, if the levels of both gases (CO2 L and COL) are
high, the two fans (FS1 and FS2 ) will operate at their maximum
speeds to exhaust polluted air and at the same time provide fresh
air to potential victims inside the area. The relationships between
inputs and outputs are selected based on the time available for the
system to refresh victims before serious consequences take place.
In addition to sample verbal rules, Table 3 shows all the expert
rules required to provide the appropriate fuzzy output for the fans
by the fuzzy engine. The Mamdani minmax inference engine is
used throughout the simulation time. For defuzzication, the
bisector is used to map the fuzzy rules output to a crisp (single)
point which is the required duty cycle for the PWM. The resulted
fuzzy surface form the IF-THEN rules showing the relationship be-
tween the inputs and outputs are shown in Fig. 3(a). Furthermore,
Fig. 3(b) shows the inferences for the fuzzy rules.
5. Experimental experience
In this section, we present results obtained from simulating the
performance of the proposed air quality controller in a room. To
this end, three gas buildup scenarios are conducted to evaluate
the proposed approach in a similar real life situation. Moreover, a
fourth scenario is presented to compare the performance of the
4794 O. Al-Araidah et al. / Expert Systems with Applications 37 (2010) 47874795

1 1

0.8 0.8

CO2 level

CO level
0.6 0.6

0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
Time Time
(a) Uncontrolled concentration levels of CO 2 and CO.
0.025 0.025
CO2 concentration

0.02 0.02

CO concentration
0.015 0.015

0.01 0.01

0.005 0.005

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
Time Time
(b) Net concentrations of CO 2 and CO after using the two controllers.
Fig. 7. Gas buildup and net concentrations of CO2 and CO using one fan (blue) and two fans (red). (For interpretation of the references to colour in this gure legend, the
reader is referred to the web version of this article.)

two fan systems to that of the single fan system in the literature. A
sample room of size 4  5  3:5 m3 with one door and one win-
dow is considered. Each ventilation fan can provide up to 7 m3 =h
of air. The buildup of the different gas emissions are mainly due
to available fuel-burning house appliances and due to occupants.
Furthermore, the rate of gas buildup is assumed to change over
the simulation time. Simulation is carried over a 48-h period dur-
ing the cold weather conditions.
In the rst scenario, we allow the buildup of the two gases at
the same time. The measured concentrations of CO2 , and CO are
shown in Fig. 4(a). The concentration levels of both gases are fed
to the fuzzy logic controller. In its turn, the controller provide duty
cycle to the PWM model that will keep the fan working all the time
at different speed levels responding to any change in the concen-
tration of gases inside the room. At low concentration levels of
gases, the fans work at low speeds to provide the recommended
number of air replacement inside the room. The control commands
to the DC motors of the two fans over the simulation time are illus-
trated in Fig. 4(b). Moreover, Fig. 4(c) shows the net concentration
levels of the two gases with the controller in use. Notice that the
real time action of the control system assures low exposure levels
of occupants to both gases. Moreover, the concentrations of emit-
ted gases are maintained within acceptable levels despite the dy-
namic buildup of gases over simulation time.
In the second scenario, special consideration for CO2 concentra-
tion is demonstrated while the concentration of CO shows less
buildup during the simulation time. The scenario represents the
case where sufcient Oxygen levels are available in the space that
results in complete combustion of the fusel fuel. The pre control
concentrations of the two gases are illustrated in Fig. 5(a). As the
concentration levels of the gases rise to unacceptable levels, the
fuzzy controller issues control commands to the DC motors to
operate the fans with more focus on exhausting CO2 contained
air than on providing fresh air into the space, see Fig. 5(b). This ac-
tion is based on the fact that victims can survive relatively high
concentrations of CO2 without losing conscious. Moreover, the sour
taste and the stinging sensation of CO2 at high concentrations help
alert occupants of the presence of the gas so as to open natural
ventilation inlets or seek help. Even when residents fail to interfere
with the system, the imbedded Poka-Yoke concepts in the pro-
posed system assure the effectiveness of the system in keeping
gas levels at livable concentrations as illustrated in Fig. 5(c).
The third scenario illustrates the case where insufcient Oxygen
levels are available in the space that results in incomplete combus-
tion of the fuel. In this scenario, we allow the buildup of CO while
less buildup is considered for CO2 . The pre control concentrations
of the two gases are illustrated in Fig. 6(a). The control commands
provided to the motors and the net concentrations of gases are
shown in Fig. 6(b) and (c), respectively. In the case of CO buildup,
more focus is given to providing fresh air to the victim based on the
hypothesis that the victim is unable to open natural ventilation
sources or evacuate the area due to unconsciousness. The relatively
low temperature of fresh air makes it denser than the warm air in
the room and hence will replace hunted air at lower levels of the
room. This reduces the concentration of CO around the victim
and ensures access of victim to Oxygen. To achieve this result,
the controller assures that intake fan operates at its highest capac-
ity. Results in Fig. 6(c) illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed
logic in keeping gas levels within limits.
In experiment 4, we compare the performance of the proposed
system to that presented in Jaradat and Al-Nimr (2009). In their sys-
tem, the authors presented a fuzzy controlled ventilation system
utilizing a single exhaust fan set and several gas and odor sensors.
Like others, Jaradat and Al-Nimr (2009) assume the presence of
ventilation inlets to substitute for exhausted air. Therefore, we limit
the comparison to the performance of the single and double fan sys-
tems under similar gas buildup conditions. Fig. 7 illustrates the per-
formance of the two systems. In addition to the unseen advantage
of allowing victims to fresh air, Fig. 7b clearly shows the advantage
of the use of two fans (red) over that of the single fan system (blue).
Results obtained from the four experiments show the effective-
ness of the proposed controller in keeping gas emissions within
acceptable concentrations. Although the experiments are simu-
lated over long periods of time, the exibility of the controller
 O. Al-Araidah et al. / Expert Systems with Applications 37 (2010) 47874795
along with the choice of the fans capacities assure the effective-
ness of the controller for sudden buildup of gases. Furthermore,
utilizing high capacity fans assures converging to the desired
results in shorter periods of time. This assures the safety of the
occupants while at the same time minimizes energy consumption.
6. Summary and conclusions
In this paper, we present a fuzzy logic based controller for con-
trolling the concentration levels of two of the most fetal gases
worldwide. We utilize Poka-Yoke concepts to detect, warn, and
control levels of CO and CO2 in naturally ventilated conned
spaces. The proposed system overcomes limitations of human
senses in detecting the presence of gases through the use of arti-
cial sensors. Furthermore, the system provides proper ventilation
to the hunted space in case occupant fails to open natural ventila-
tion sources due to misjudgment or unconsciousness. To this end,
we survey allowable levels of gases and the impact of the concen-
tration level on the being of victims. The data are used to size the
volumetric ow rate based on allowable time before serious conse-
quences are reached. Moreover, we utilize gas poisoning treatment
procedures in the design of the ventilation system that both ex-
hausts polluted air while providing fresh air necessary for rst
aid of poisoning victims. Unlike classical controllers, fuzzy logic
controllers allow the interaction of multiple inputs and multiple
outputs. Results obtained from testing the model on simulated sce-
narios show the effectiveness of the proposed system in keeping
levels of the gases at acceptable levels. The system is easily
expandable to control concentration levels of multiple gases at
the same time.
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