MITD KBTC – Electronic Security and Control Systems –

Building Management System - Handout 11

1.0 Introduction

INTEGRATED BUILDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Integrated Building Management System (IBMS) is a complete information delivery system that monitors
and controls a variety of building services at an optimal level of efficiency.

The systems design of the IBMS consists of the following components:

Building Automation System

Building Automation System (BAS)/Building Management System (BMS) is a micro processor control
system designed to monitor and control all parameters of HVAC, electrical, fire protection, elevators,
CCTV, Escalators and other building services/utilities. BAS helps in conserving energy by executing
various energy efficient programs for optimized performance of the systems and to assist the operation
and maintenance of the installation.

The system is DDC (Direct Digital Control) based with functions distributed both physically and
functionally over the field controllers. The DDC interface, with sensors, actuators and environmental
control systems, carries out various functions of energy management, alarm detection,
time/event/holiday/temporary scheduling, communication interface/control and building maintenance &
report generation.

These controllers are capable of functioning on a stand-alone mode, even in case of loss of
communication with the central control station. Other integrated packages in the system include active
graphics software, energy management software, alarm indication software, maintenance package and
billing software.

Building Automation Systems - HVAC Control

Prepare by B Jankee MITD – KBTC 12/01/2011

Building Automation Systems - HVAC Control Overview

Many people wonder what Building Automation Systems do. Building Automation Systems are mainly
used in commercial HVAC control systems and energy management system applications. Building
Automation itself is an energy management system which saves management companies and building
owners by efficiently controlling air conditioning and heating comfort systems. BAS is where mechanical
and electrical systems and equipment are joined with microprocessors that communicate with each other
and possibly to a computer. This computer and controllers in the building automation system can be
networked to the internet or serve as a stand alone system for the local peer to peer controller network
only.

Many people wonder what Building Automation Systems do. Building Automation Systems are mainly
used in commercial HVAC control systems and energy management system applications. Building
Automation itself is an energy management system which saves management companies and building
owners by efficiently controlling air conditioning and heating comfort systems. BAS is where mechanical
and electrical systems and equipment are joined with microprocessors that communicate with each other
and possibly to a computer. This computer and controllers in the building automation system can be
networked to the internet or serve as a stand alone system for the local peer to peer controller network
only.

A set-up in a multi-story automated building would have many building automation controllers serving
different types of air conditioning and heating equipment (BAS is not limited to just hvac applications).
Every building is different and it is important for the BAS engineer to select the proper BAS HVAC
control system and programs to control the various types of HVAC systems in a particular automated
building. For building automation systems to be effective, it is important that the BAS system is installed
and tuned properly. Some advantages of a good HVAC BAS building automation system are:

 Building Automation System (BAS) should allow the owner to set up schedules of operation for
the equipment and lighting systems so that energy savings can be realized when the building or
spaces in the building are unoccupied.

 Building Automation System (BAS) should have the ability to monitor energy usage including
the ability to meter electric, gas, water, steam, hot water, chilled water, and fuel oil services.

Prepare by B Jankee MITD – KBTC 12/01/2011

  Building Automation System (BAS) should have control algorithms as schedules for heating
plants, and other systems where energy savings can be realized through these predictive
programs.

 Building Automation System (BAS) should offer load shedding when power companies are at
peak demand and need business and industry to cut back on power usage to prevent brown outs.
Building Automation Systems allow the owner to cycle various things off like water heaters or
drinking fountains where use of these things will not be noticed even though they are off.

 Building Automation System (BAS) should offer the ability to send alarms via email, pager, or
telephone to alert building managers and/or technicians of developing problems and system
failures.

 Management companies who acquire a good building automation system (BAS) can have BAS
set up to bill tenants for energy usage.

 Building Automation Systems (BAS) should have the communications abilities to be integrated
with other building automation control systems and TCP/IP. BACnet compatible or other open
source communication protocol is a plus.

The Basic DDC Control Loop

To understand Direct Digital Control (DDC) we must understand the basic control loop. Even the most
adept HVAC controls technicians benefit in their work from going back to the basic control loop to solve

Prepare by B Jankee MITD – KBTC 12/01/2011

problems or break down and understand complex DDC control algorithms. For a basic DDC Controls or
building automation control loop we need three things:

1. Input from a sensor or device. This can be analog or digital.. In this step we are Measuring temperature
or any variables and collecting data. DDC building automation inputs basically measure a medium or
monitor the HVAC systems such as smoke detectors and high/low limit switches. DDC inputs measure
temperature, humidity, pressure, current, wattage, and air and water flow among other things.

2. A DDC or building automation controller to process information and which holds the logic or
programming. In this step the DDC or building automation controller is processing the information from
the input device(s) and based on the algorithm, possibly sending an output signal to a device to take
appropriate action if necessary. The input device does not need to be hard did not wire to the local
equipment controller nor does an output response from the local equipment DDC building automation
controller going to affect the DDC building automation controller’s local equipment. Over a
communication trunk the DDC or building automation controller can receive input signals from distant
automation controllers and issue output commands to those same or other distant building automation or
DDC automation controllers. It really depends on the program and set-up of the entire system in the
algorithms of the building automation system as a whole.

3. The actual device being controlled based on what the input is feeding to the DDC controls controller.
In this step the controlled device is taking action to maintain the program based on program variables.
Output devices can be damper actuators, valve actuators, relays (electrical and or pneumatics (p-e or e-p),
variable frequency or speed drives, compressors, blowers, and pumps.

Prepare by B Jankee MITD – KBTC 12/01/2011

Example of a DDC Controls Loop:

A VAV box is reading 600 C.F.M.'s (Cubic Feet per minute) and the zone temperature is 8 degrees C.
The controller takes this input information and processes it based on pre-programmed set points. In this
situation the zone is too cold so the DDC controller sends an output signal to the damper actuator to close
it, energize a heating relay for heat and (with a parallel box) turn the fan on. Because the output device is
taking an action it is reasonable to assume that our input sensor variables are going to change. The
process starts all over again until all set points in the DDC building automation algorithm are satisfied.

DDC Control Responses

DDC building automation algorithms contain what is called control responses. This is built into the logic
and is responsible for the output to the controlled device. Some of these control responses prevent
overshooting and/or undershooting. In these control responses we have five different responses:

 two-position control - either open or closed (can utilize upper and lower limits).
 floating control - example: an actuator controlled damper that moves within a setpoint range to
control static pressure. Floating control commonly uses deadbands. In the example above, when
the static pressure is in the deadband, the damper does not move.

 proportional control (p)*

 proportional plus integral (pi)*

 proportional plus integral plus derivative (pid) *

Prepare by B Jankee MITD – KBTC 12/01/2011

*Proportional (P), proportional plus integral (PI), and proportional plus integral plus derivative (PID)
control responses are very complex algorithms.

Prepare by B Jankee MITD – KBTC 12/01/2011