Building Management System

SENSORS AND ACTUATORS

(types, activities, available vendor products)

Assignment By

P.SRIMATHI
119011201044
M.Arch, PMIST
What is a Sensor?
•  Sensor as an input device which provides an output (signal) with respect to a
specific physical quantity (input).
• The term “input device” in the definition of a Sensor means that it is part of a
bigger system which provides input to a main control system (like a Processor or
a Microcontroller).
• It is a device that converts signals from one energy domain to electrical domain.
The definition of the Sensor can be understood if we take an example in to
consideration.
Classification of Sensors
• In the first classification of the sensors, they are divided in to Active and Passive.
Active Sensors are those which require an external excitation signal or a power
signal.
• Passive Sensors, on the other hand, do not require any external power signal and
directly generates output response.
• The other type of classification is based on the means of detection used in the
sensor. Some of the means of detection are Electric, Biological, Chemical,
Radioactive etc.
• The next classification is based on conversion phenomenon i.e. the input and the
output. Some of the common conversion phenomena are Photoelectric,
Thermoelectric, Electrochemical, Electromagnetic, Thermooptic, etc.
• The final classification of the sensors are Analog and Digital Sensors. Analog Sensors
produce an analog output i.e. a continuous output signal with respect to the quantity
being measured.
• Digital Sensors, in contrast to Analog Sensors, work with discrete or digital data.  
Sensors in buildings
(types and their activities)
Temperature sensors
• Temperature sensors measure heat to detect changes in temperature. They’ve
been used for years to control things.
• For example, many machines used in manufacturing and computing are sensitive
to temperature and have to be protected from overheating. With smart
temperature sensors, businesses can automate heating, ventilation and air
conditioning controls to maintain ideal conditions and automatically detect failure
or faults as they happen.
• s like heating and air conditioning but, thanks to the emergence of the Internet of
Things, have found many more
Humidity sensors
• Humidity, also known as relative humidity, is defined as the amount of water vapour in
the atmosphere. Just as many machines don’t tolerate certain temperatures, humid
conditions also present difficulties. Too much moisture in the air causes condensation,
which can cause some machinery to corrode.
• Humidity sensors let you maintain ideal conditions and take action straight away if there’s
a change. In homes and businesses they’re used to control heating, ventilating, and air
conditioning systems. They’re used in manufacturing plants, hospitals, museums,
greenhouses and weather stations – any environment that’s sensitive to moisture.

Motion / occupancy sensors

• Motion sensors pick up on physical movement – whether that’s a person, animal or
object – in a given area and transform that information into an electric signal. Motion
detection has been used in the security industry for years to alert businesses to intruders.
They’re found in appliances we use every day, like automatic doors, toilet flushes and
hand dryers.
• They can also be used to automate building controls like heating and lighting depending
on whether or not a space is occupied – helping to reduce both energy consumption and
running costs.
Contact sensors
• Contact sensors are also known as position or status sensors, or building monitoring
sensors. Contact sensors are a simple way to tell whether a door, window or other
similar mechanism is open or closed.
• The sensors come in two pieces - one that’s fixed to the door or window and another
that’s fixed to the frame. The two parts use magnetic fields to detect when they’re
touching (meaning the door or window is closed) and when they’re moved apart (as
the door or window is opened).
• For a range of reasons, including safety, security and energy efficiency, it’s useful to
know what’s going on around your building at any one time. Building monitoring
using contact sensors lets you see the live status of doors and windows around your
building, including doors on cupboards, cabinets and fridges. You can automatically
detect unlocked doors or cabinets, open or broken windows or a presence in a room,
and automate building controls based on live occupancy.
Gas / air-quality sensors
• Gas sensors are used to monitor changes to air quality and detect the presence of
various gases. They’re used to monitor air quality, detect toxic or combustible gases,
and monitor hazardous gases in manufacturing, pharmaceutical, petrochemical and
mining industries. Depending on use, you could monitor carbon dioxide, carbon
monoxide, hydrogen, nitrogen oxide, oxygen, air pollution or gas.
• While many applications are concerned with safety, the effects of poor air quality aren’t
always severe, or even that easy to spot. In today’s well-insulated buildings, rising
carbon dioxide levels can lead to stale, stuffy air and complaints like tiredness and
headaches. It can affect people’s comfort and wellbeing as well as productivity. And
seeing as employers have a responsibility to provide a healthy working environment,
it’s not surprising more businesses are using environmental monitoring to maintain
temperature and air quality.
Electrical current monitoring sensors
• Electrical current (CT) sensors measure real-time energy consumption at a circuit, zone
or machine level. Knowing how much energy is being used has two main uses. Firstly,
you can identify where you use and waste the most energy, allowing you to make
savings. You can also automatically switch off assets when they’re not in use.
• Secondly, if you can recognise normal operating conditions you can also see when
machinery isn’t functioning as well as it should. For example, a higher-than-average
operating current could tell you that a motor has been overloaded. This insight means
you can schedule maintenance when it’s actually needed rather than pay for routine
inspections. You can also fix potential problems straight away and keep unplanned
downtime to a minimum.
Other few sensors
• Optical sensors measures electromagnetic energy including electricity and light. They’re
used in industries such as healthcare, energy and communications to monitor variables
including light, radiation, electric and magnetic field and temperature.
• Proximity sensors, much like motion sensors, detect the presence of an object and
measure how close it is. One of the most familiar uses is reverse parking sensors in cars.
• Pressure sensors detect pressure and alert the system administrator of any deviation from
the standard pressure range – similar to machine monitoring. This is useful in
manufacturing as well as in water and heating systems.
• Water-quality sensors are used in environmental management to measure chemicals,
ions, organic elements, suspended solids and pH levels in water.
• Chemical sensors detect the presence of chemicals in water or air. They’re used to track
air and water quality in cities, to monitor industrial processes and to detect harmful
chemicals, explosives and radioactive materials.
• Smoke sensors detect levels of airborne particulates and gases. While they’ve been
around for a while, the development of IoT means they’re now able to notify users of
problems immediately.
Some available sensors in the Indian market
 Sensor
vendors
in India
What is an Actuator?
An actuator is a component of a machine that is responsible for moving or
controlling a mechanism or system, by converting energy into motion. It is the
mechanism by which a control system acts upon an environment. It can be a
simple system, such as fixed or electronic, or software-based, such as robot
control.
Motion is usually created by air, electricity or liquid. The types of motion created
by actuators are linear, rotary or oscillatory
Pneumatic
Pneumatic actuators convert energy formed by a vacuum or compressed air at
high pressure into either linear or rotary motion. The advantage of this type
of actuator is that has a quick response time as the power source doesn’t need to
be stored in reserve. Large forces can be produced from relatively small pressure
changes.

Hydraulic
• Hydraulic actuators consist of a cylinder or fluid motor that uses
hydraulic power to drive mechanical operation. The motion output can be linear,
rotary or oscillatory. The cylinder consists of a hollow tube along which a piston
can slide. Despite having limited acceleration, a hydraulic actuator can exert
considerable force as liquids are virtually impossible to compress.
• Hydraulic actuators can be either single acting – when fluid pressure is applied to
one side of the piston only – or double acting – where pressure is applied on both
sides.
Electric
An electric actuator is powered by electrical energy converted by a motor. Electrical
energy is used to actuate equipment such as multi-turn valves. Its advantage is that
it is one of the cleanest forms of actuator as no oil is required

Thermal or magnetic
These actuators tend to be compact, lightweight and with high power density. They
are actuated by applying thermal or magnetic energy.

Mechanical
A mechanical actuator functions by converting rotary motion into linear motion to
execute movement. It involves gears, rails, pulleys, chains and other devices to
operate. An example is a rack and pinion mechanism
Types of Electric Actuators
Basically, an electric actuator is one kind of gear motor which can be of various voltages
and is the main torque producing component. To stop extreme current draw, electric
actuator motors are generally set with a thermal overload sensor fixed in the motor
windings. This sensor is energetic in series with the power source and unlocks the circuit
should the motor be excited, then locks the circuit when the motor attains a secure
operating temperature.
• Smart Linear Electric Actuator
Smart linear electric actuator with the dislocation of linear output. The quality of this
actuator is high, the precision material and design are stable, durable and safe, the
application environment is broad, similar to all types of valve, ball valves like control,
butterfly.
• Rotary Electric Cut Off Actuator
Rotary electric cut off actuator allows the integrated
standard signal and alters the signal into equivalent
angular displacement, so as to mechanically control
the valve and achieve the automatic modification task.
In the automatic change, the physical, mechanical and
bi-directional intrusion free controlling of the
regulating system can be recognized. It comprises two
parts, namely actuator, and servo amplifier. It can be
controlled rapidly or physically at a distance.

• Linear Electric Cut Off Actuator

Linear electric cut off actuator is available with two sorts of
power supply model such as AC single-phase power supply &
three-phase AC power supply. The latest electric actuator is
established from the regulator control signal to attain a
prearranged linear reciprocating motion.
• Rotary Electric Regulating Type
Actuator
This type of actuator is a full electronic actuator gets 4mA to
20mA d.c or 1V to 5Vd.c input signals from the PC, operator
or regulator to work with 220V AC single phase power supply
like the driving power supply, and is offered with a servo
system. An extra servo amplifier is not necessary. The input
component “controller” accepts the complex mixed
integrated circuits, and is hardened by resin pouring & topic
to aging behaviour, thus being high inconsistency and
opposing to vibration and moisture.

• SMC Electric Actuator

SMC electric actuators give different advantages, speed and
acceleration are controlled and also predictable. Several
positions are achievable with high accuracy and repeatability.
Almost forces can be automatic. With not require for
condensed air, fewer energy costs and infrastructure.
 Actuator vendors in India
• Cyrus International
• Supriya prototech
• Pyramid control systems private limited
• Tyco valves and controls India private limited
• CRP India private limited
• Indaai technologies private limited
• NX linear
• Bhagwan Associates
• SMC pneumatics India private limited
• DHR holding India private limited
• Nucon pneumatics private limited
• Ultratech service private limited
• Hydropower engineering systems