Condensation control system and related method

A system for controlling the circulation of air in an indoor area of a structure, comprising:

• a fan for circulating the air within the area, said fan being selected from one of a ceiling fan, a pedestal mounted fan, a wall mounted fan, or a building ventilation fan;
• a first sensor for sensing a temperature of a surface of an object within the enclosed area;
• a second sensor for sensing an air temperature of the indoor air;
• a third sensor for sensing a relative humidity of the indoor air;
• and
• a controller for predictively controlling the operation of the fan based on the sensed surface temperature, air temperature, and relative humidity so as to prevent formation of condensation on the surface of the object;
• a heater for heating the air in the space, the heater being controlled by the controller;
• a fourth sensor for sensing one or more of an outdoor air temperature and an outdoor humidity and communicating the sensed one or more of the outdoor air temperature and the outdoor humidity to the controller;
• and
• a damper for admitting outdoor air into the space when the relative humidity of the outdoor air is less than the relative humidity of the indoor air.

A method of preventing the formation of condensation on a surface of an object in an indoor area, comprising:

• sensing a temperature of the surface of the object with a first sensor;
• predictively circulating air in the indoor area with a fan controlled by a controller, said predictively circulating being based on the sensed surface temperature to prevent formation of condensation on the surface of the object;
• heating the air in the indoor area with a heater, the heater being controlled by the controller;
• sensing one or more of an outdoor air temperature and an outdoor humidity and communicating the sensed one or more of the outdoor air temperature and the outdoor humidity to the controller;
• and
• admitting outdoor air into the space via a damper when the relative humidity of the outdoor air is less than the relative humidity of the indoor air;
• wherein the fan is selected from one of a ceiling fan, a pedestal mounted fan, a wall mounted fan, or a building ventilation fan.