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HVAC Controls
HVAC Controls
HVAC Controls
The control technology has been changing at fast pace in the last few decades, at least that is what every one claims or believes, but
you scratch the surface and you find that nothing much has changed. All the changes that have taken place are superficial and only
skin deep. The people still complain as much about uncomfortable conditions as in good old days of mechanical thermostat.
The introduction of the latest, state-of-the-art, controls with space age technologies has hardly made any impact on the occupant
comfort. The technology has been used to only glamorize the controls and improve the front ends but deep inside it's the same old
algorithms.
produce 20% heat transfer whereas the actual heat exchange process tends to be non-linear. Typical coil characteristics shown in
fig.1 show that 20% flow to coil yields far greater heat transfer, almost 60%.
Both NO & NC contacts are SPST type, the difference being that when the external force is removed the NO type of contact
switches to open position whereas the NC type of contact switches to closed position.
The solution relied on is to use a valve plug with equal percentage characteristics so that the combined system (valve plus coil)
has an overall linear characteristics. In practice, the coil characteristics changes with airflow and water supply temperature, the
valve characteristics changes with pressure and it is never possible to perfectly match the valve with the coil. As a result, the
characteristics of the combined system changes a lot more under varying load conditions. In other words you can never set the
system to achieve uniform, compatible set of conditions and once again have to resort to resetting the set points often. BMS may
come handy if you have one and save you the trouble of going to each AHU to reset the set point, like the friendly air-conditioner
remote.
Recently a very senior HVAC consultant lamented that even the most sophisticated BMS systems today are barely able to achieve
any more functionality than a CLIP (Centralized Light Indication Panel) he designed more than 30 years back. The only difference
being that the customer pays much more, mainly for the high-end graphics.
- Humidity
Measuring all these parameters accurately and then generating an algorithm to calculate output will not only make the system
prohibitively expensive but will also tax the operating efficiency of the fastest microprocessor. To avoid this controls will have to
become intuitive and learn from experience. The controls will need to imitate the human logic. Have you ever wondered how fast
and easily you are able to control mixer tap water temperature and that too without measuring the actual temperature. This logic is
based on approximate reasoning and is called FUZZY LOGIC.
Fuzzy logic provides a simple way to arrive at a definite conclusion based on vague, ambiguous, imprecise, noisy or missing input
information. Instead of well-defined values it uses vague input definitions such as VERY HOT, HOT, NORMAL, COOL, VERY
COOL. Similar FUZZINESS is found in almost all our decisions, in our thinking, in the way we process information. Fuzzy Logic
incorporates a simple, rule based IF X AND Y THEN Z approach to solving a control problem rather than attempting to model a
system mathematically.
Fuzzy logic relying on approximate reasoning uses numerical equivalents of terms like long, short, slow, quick, small, large, open,
close to determine the correct quantum and mode of output. Fuzzy logic is able to accept variables such as deviation from set
point, direction & rate of change, historical average output, the time elapsed since the last change, effect of last change in output
etc.
Properly tuned fuzzy logic controllers are superior to conventional PID control algorithms, because they respond more quickly to a
set point and environmental change and have minimal overshoot of controlled variable. The controlled systems reach a steady
state faster with reduced oscillations about set point. The quick response improves comfort and, since the system spends less
time in transient operation, energy consumption is reduced. Adaptive fuzzy logic controllers automatically improve their
performance until they converge to a predetermined optimal condition.
Fuzzy logic is not very new, many of fuzzy logic based commercial products like, self-focusing cameras, washing machines,
automobile engine controls, anti-lock braking systems, are already available and are successful. HVAC controls manufacturers
have been very slow to adopt, however, they will soon be forced to change their attitude by the rising customer expectations.