ADVANCED CONTROLS CONCEPT

Packaging DDC Networks with

Variable Speed Drives
By designating complex Network to other
network-based control controllers and
operator workstation
sequences as packaged C

products with Chilled water

VFD DP
responsibility for their supply
Chilled water
performance vested to return C C C C
manufacturers, it may T T T T
be possible to simplify C DDC controller
designs and increase T Temperature sensor

the utilization of VFDs VFD Variable speed drive

and other advanced DP Differential pressure sensor

DDC point connection
control technologies DDC communications network
in the field
1 Typical variable flow chilled water distribution system.

By THOMAS HARTMAN, PE, use and improve overall system Here, a variable speed pump is
Principal, performance by an order of mag- operated to maintain a differen-
The Hartman Co., nitude or more. tial pressure setpoint for a distri-
Marysville, Wash. Variable speed drives and net- bution system that serves a num-
work-based DDC controls can be ber of loads. Each load has a

T
wo of the greatest recent applied to nearly all of the major modulating valve operated by a
technological break- HVAC components—from fans to DDC controller. Fig. 1 also shows
throughs in our industry pumps to chillers. In fact, an in- the DDC network that connects
have been variable frequency creasing number of these are be- all controllers together such that
drives (VFDs) for AC motors and ing installed with VFD speed reg- the value and status of all con-
direct digital control (DDC) net- ulation and DDC control. But, nected points are accessible from
works. But if there were a law make no mistake about it, even an operator workstation. Note
against under utilizing either of though variable speed drives and that the network is used to trans-
these technologies, I fear all DDC controls are becoming mit the differential pressure
HVAC engineers would be in jail widely employed, the technology value to the controller operating
today; VFDs and DDC networks is overwhelmingly underutilized. the pump. So, we have a variable
are the least effectively applied To show why and offer sugges- speed pump and networked con-
technological tools in our indus- tions for improving the situation, trols operating the system.
try. Difficult as it may seem, this article uses the example of a What’s wrong with this
many designers are still ques- chilled water distribution pump- picture?
tioning whether these two tech- ing system in which a variable
nologies are even useful in pro- flow chilled water pump serves Pump and fan laws
jects where their proper multiple loads with modulating, Fan and pump laws dictate
application could reduce energy two-way control valves (Fig. 1). that a centrifugal pump can sup-

80 HPAC Heating/Piping/AirConditioning November 1998

 140
ply 50 percent of design flow at
50 percent speed and require 120 1750 rpm pump speed

Design maximum pump head capacity, percent

only 12 1⁄2 percent (0.5 cu) of the
full flow power, but only if the Curve "B" for systems
pressure at which the fluid is 100 operating with fixed
differential pressure control
supplied is permitted to fall to 25
percent (0.5 sq) of the full flow 1450 rpm pump speed High
80 efficiency
pressure. If the supply pressure
area
does not fall with the square of
the flow requirements, then the 60
pump speed cannot be reduced 1150 rpm pump speed
as the law permits. This results Curve "A" for systems
in a reduction in pump effi- 40 operating according
900 rpm pump speed to a "natural" system curve
ciency. These relationships are
shown in Fig. 2.
20 600 rpm pump speed
A zone of highest pumping effi-
ciency throughout the speed
range of the pump is highlighted 0
in blue. If the system curve ap- 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140
proximates that of a simple circu- Design maximun flow, percent
lating system (e.g., the head pres-
sure requirements fall with the 2 Pump/system curves for pressure and network pump controls.
square of the flow), the system
curve is approximated by Curve Regarding chillers, manufac- Centrifugal fans, pumps, and
A. Such a system curve ensures turers try to remedy this loss by compressors are simple devices
that the pump operates at the offering screw compressors or that are very efficient at their
highest pumping efficiency other positive displacement-type sweet spots (the high-efficiency
through all flows and that the compressors that do not lose effi- zone in Fig. 2). It is reasonable to
power required falls with the ciency under such conditions. find ways to accommodate limita-
cube of the flow requirements. Multiple units are often em- tions of these devices with sys-
The system curve for a typical ployed to reduce part-load ineffi- tem concepts permitting the
variable flow distribution sys- ciencies. But these approaches do pressure to decrease as flow de-
tem, as represented in Fig. 1, is not attack the second penalty, creases to operate at the highest
shown by Curve B. In Curve B, which is the extra power require- possible efficiencies throughout
the pumping efficiency quickly ment due to the high head re- all flow conditions.
falls as flow requirements are re- quirements (that are unneces- The value of such an approach
duced. sary) at low flows. continued on page 83

Part load operation

There are actually two costly 25
energy penalties for systems that Cooling load profile – tropical climates
Cooling load profile – temperate climates
follow Curve B. Loss of pump effi-
ciency is one of them. The second 20
Operating hours at load, percent

is the high pump-head pressure

required at decreased loads. Be-
cause the majority of variable flow 15
pumping systems are operated to
maintain a fixed differential pres-
sure between the supply and re- 10
turn distribution lines, the pump-
ing pressure is not permitted to
5
fall significantly as the load de-
creases, and a substantial energy
penalty is the result. This combi-
0
nation of reduced pump efficiency 5 15 25 35 45 55 65 75 85 95
and a higher head pressure limits Design maximum cooling load, percent
opportunities for reducing pump
power at part-load conditions. 3 Cooling load profile for comfort conditioning in two major climates.

November 1998 HPAC Heating/Piping/AirConditioning 81

ADVANCED CONTROLS CONCEPT

continued from page 81 ever, the pump operates to main- windup, and self-tuning capabili-
is illustrated in Fig. 3, which tain a constant pressure across ties. Perhaps the most important
shows the expected load profiles the valve and coil, so the pres- feature that is evolving with DDC
for chilled water plants employed sure drop across the valve in- systems is their ability to “net-
for comfort conditioning. Fig. 3 creases. This increase in pres- work” points among various con-
also shows the percent of total sure across the valve at low flows trollers. It may be time to consider
operating hours the system reduces “controllability” and is putting these features to work.
spends at various load capacities one reason why control instabil- The two primary reasons the
for two basic climates. Assuming ity is more likely to occur at low rule of thumb concerning valve
the chilled water flow is propor- load conditions. selection seeks a relatively high
tional to the load, Fig. 3 approxi- pressure drop across control
mates the flow requirements for New rules are needed valves are 1) to ensure linear con-
a distribution system to the loads The old valve-sizing rule of trol response, and 2) to ensure
served. Note that the overwhelm- thumb served an important pur- that the operation of each valve
ing majority of pumping hours is pose when linear pneumatic is undisturbed by the action of
spent at reduced flows in both cli- controllers were prevalent, but it adjacent valves. If the full flow
mate types. Systems operating has always had significant limita- pressure drop across the valve is
according to Curve A in Fig. 2 can tions, and it is not an energy- low, then linear response is lost.
achieve enormous energy savings efficient approach in the era of One valve suddenly opening or
over Curve B systems at these variable speed pumping. Knowl- closing as its load changes state
flow conditions. edgeable designers recognize could change conditions at an ad-

Change is needed
immediately the
two questions that ▼▼▼ jacent load.
It is not difficult
Rules for sizing valves and cer-
tain pump control features pre-
have to be answered
to move beyond this
While the industry to imagine that
instabilities could
date the availability of variable reliable, but less ef- employs both occur as two or
speed drives. To achieve good ficient, approach. variable speed more adjacent
control, it is still recommended The first question valves each correct
that control valves be sized so is “What is the drives and themselves in re-
that 25 to 50 percent of the full most effective de- networked DDC sponse to changes
flow system pressure drop occurs sign direction to of the other. This
across the valve. take?” and the sec- technologies with type of instability
Rules of thumb in hydronic ond is “How can I increasing would have been
systems vary, but it is common to be sure it will be enormously trou-
see systems configured so that at implemented
regularity, the full blesome in the
full flow the control valve pres- smoothly without energy savings and days of pneumatic
sure drop is one-third of the total wreaking havoc on performance controllers, but
system head; the pressure drop my projects?” networked DDC
through each load is one-third of The answer to capacities of these systems can ac-
the total head; and the remaining
one-third consists of piping and
the first question
is to employ the
remarkable commodate such
changing condi-
all other pressure drops. This is DDC network developments are tions smoothly and
the criterion employed for Curve rather than differ- rarely achieved. easily.
B in Fig. 2 wherein the differen- ential pressure to Imagine that the
tial pressure setpoint is about operate the pump communications
two-thirds of the total full flow speed. Such an approach would network in Fig. 1 is used to con-
system head. While these rules permit the pump to slow, so long trol the variable speed pump and
did provide successful control for as all the loads are satisfied, valves instead of the differential
many applications back in the without regard to a differential pressure sensor. Each valve
days of simple pneumatic con- pressure. Such control is now could be modulated not only ac-
trols, the solution is energy in- possible because DDC technolo- cording to local load changes but
tensive and also has negative gies are maturing and developing also in response to system
side effects. more sophisticated software con- changes as communicated over
For example, consider the Fig. trollers. the network. The pump could be
1 system operating at low loads. Control manufacturers have operated to meet flow require-
Because the flow through the coil had sufficient experience with ments as efficiently as possible. A
is low, the pressure drop across software loop control to add fea- system schematic that provides
the coil approaches zero. How- tures like variable gains, anti- such control is shown in Fig. 1—

November 1998 HPAC Heating/Piping/AirConditioning 82

ADVANCED CONTROLS CONCEPT

just remove the differential pres- design approach they know can be stantial. We in the industry
sure sensor. Properly pro - implemented without trouble- should consider working together
grammed, such a configuration some startup problems. to package specific networked
can permit the chilled water dis- technologies so they can be em-
tribution pump to operate in the Productization ployed efficiently and effectively
high-efficiency zone of Fig. 2 at To try to develop a solution to as applications arise.
nearly all conditions. The control this dilemma, imagine that the To get the benefit of all voices in
valves for each load can be sized pump applications technology our industry, I urge interested
for a significantly lower pressure outlined in this article was a readers to visit our Website fre-
drop, thus reducing the total sys- product that designers could quently over the next year to get a
tem head at all loads and reduc- specify, such as air handlers or better understanding of and pro-
ing the size of the pump. VAV boxes. In these products, it vide comments to a developing vi-
In simulations and field tests, is the product supplier and not sion as to how networking tech-
such chilled water distribution the designer who assumes ulti- nologies can be packaged most
system configurations have been mate responsibility for the per- effectively. I also urge readers to
shown to cut the required annual formance of the product. That write to HPAC to voice your opin-
pumping power by one-half to performance is based on sizing ions on this important topic.
two-thirds below that of a tradi- and other general information
tional system. This is exciting. provided by the designer in the Summary and conclusion
These designs provide savings in construction documents. While the industry employs
both first costs and annual en- Software “products” are widely both variable speed drives and
ergy costs, resulting in energy used today but not as elements in networked DDC technologies
savings in the range of $1 to more design documents for the build- with increasing regularity, the
than $3 annually per gpm of ing construction industry. How- full energy savings and perfor-
chilled water pump capacity. ever, by designating certain more mance capacities of these re-
complex network-based se- markable developments are
A change worth pursuing quences as products whose basic rarely achieved. The present de-
Such an advance in pumping features are generally under- sign and implementation process
control technology is an exciting stood by a wide segment of our that places complete responsibil-
prospect, but the second question industry, it may be possible to de- ity for the implementation of
still begs an answer. How can the velop an implementation path such technologies on the designer
designer be sure the new ap - that is similar to that of other is effectively blocking such ad-
proach will be implemented effec- products. This process of “pro- vancements in our industry.
tively and without hassles? It is ductization” is a promising model A promising prospect that
not too difficult to envision the for successfully implementing could change this situation is the
basic changes in controls and op- new network-based application development of DDC network
eration required to capture these controls. “products.” To undertake this
substantial pumping energy sav- Manufacturers of related challenge, the industry needs to
ings; however, designers cringe HVAC components and controls hear all interested voices to de-
at the prospect of trying to de- manufacturers are both logical termine if and how such pack-
scribe networked solutions in a choices for delivering network- aged products can be developed
sequence of operations. Most de- based software applications. My and implemented in systems to
signers will dismiss entirely the company is working with inter- achieve higher performance. HPAC
chances that a controls contrac- ested firms in these two cate-
tor will provide a trouble-free im- gories to try to define and modu- Mr. Hartman is a member of
plementation of a network-based larize reasonable networking HPAC’s Board of Consulting and
sequence no matter how well it is technology “packages” such as Contributing Editors. Additional
described. the example of low power pump- information on technologies dis-
The unhappy truth seems to be ing outlined in this article. cussed in this article is available at
that the process by which control Other network application tech- www.hartmanco.com. Any ques-
sequences are implemented is an nologies that can be modularized tions or comments about the article
enormous part of the problem in in similar fashion are chiller plant may be addressed to Mr. Hartman
raising the level of DDC technol- control, VAV system control, and at [email protected]. See pg. 7
ogy applied in the HVAC industry comfort controls operated by indi- for contact information.
today. Most designers realize that vidual tenants. The improvement
the valve sizing rules result in a in performance and reduction in Circle 504 on reader service card
if this article was useful; circle 505
premium for pump-power costs, energy available by implementing
if it was not.
but they are reluctant to change a such networked controls are sub-

84 HPAC Heating/Piping/AirConditioning November 1998