Daikin VRV Sizing & Simulation

Plug-in User Guide

IES Virtual Environment

Copyright 2015 Integrated Environmental Solutions Limited. All rights reserved.

No part of the manual is to be copied or reproduced in any form without the express agreement of
Integrated Environmental Solutions Limited.
Contents

1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 2
2 System Types ........................................................................................................................................ 3
2.1 2 Pipe Heat Pump Systems ........................................................................................................... 3
2.2 3 Pipe Heat Recovery Systems...................................................................................................... 3
3 Creating a Daikin VRV System .............................................................................................................. 4
3.1 Control Zones ................................................................................................................................ 5
4 Daikin VRV Systems (Sizing and Simulation) Application ..................................................................... 6
4.1 Loads & Autosizing........................................................................................................................ 6
4.2 Thermal Simulation..................................................................................................................... 12
4.3 Simulation Results ...................................................................................................................... 13
4.4 DHW Production ......................................................................................................................... 14
5 Example Pipe Length Explanations .................................................................................................... 16

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1 Introduction
The Daikin Module for the Virtual Environment is capable of sizing and simulation of Daikins VRV
equipment. VRV (Variable Refrigerant Volume) systems are a frequently used renewable air source
solution for heating and cooling. VRV is a modular system with very high efficiencies obtainable with
considered application.

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2 System Types

2.1 2 Pipe Heat Pump Systems

Heat pump systems are able to either cool or heat (but not simultaneously) and are generally used in
open plan areas or buildings where simultaneous heating and cooling demands do not exist.

2.2 3 Pipe Heat Recovery Systems

Heat recovery systems can heat and cool simultaneously. These highly efficient systems recover heat (by
cooling a space) and moving this energy to area(s) that require heating, for example. A typical comms
room generates heat for 24 hours a day can provide the system with effectively a free heat source,
which can then be used to heat other spaces or provide heat into water to provide DHW, LTHW for air
handling units, underfloor heating or door air curtains.
By using this module it is possible to weigh up the advantages of using VRV against other types of heating
and cooling technology. With intelligent design applied, this module will enable higher efficiencies than
the standard published efficiencies for use within the Part L compliance module of the Virtual
Environment.
This module will select a system capable of meeting the needs of the simulated model which includes
condensers, fan coils & branch selector boxes (for simultaneous Heat Recovery systems) Accessories like
pipework joints, zone controls, centralised control devices or 3rd party controllers are not included,
however the effect of controls can be simulated by using profiles to effect setpoints, time schedules,
setback temperatures.
The simulation process takes into account the following additional variables:
Heat Recovery efficiencies
Pipe length corrections
Height differences between condenser & fan coils
Oil return
Defrost of the outdoor coil
The power input of condenser, fan coil and auxiliary power consuming components
In order for the module to be used within VE, training on its use should be undertaken by the relevant
users in order to assure an adequate level of understanding of the design of VRV systems. On completion
of this training the plugin will be provided for use by the trainees. This training can be provided by Daikin
as an IES Authorised Training Partner for the VRV module for the Virtual Environment.
This simulation has been specifically written for Daikin VRV systems and is not suitable as a selection or
simulation tool for any other similar system. Features like continuous heating during defrost, heat
recovery efficiency, pipe length correction (amongst others) are either unique to Daikin or can differ in
operational effectiveness which can create significant changes in efficiency for each system.
This manual assumes that the user is already familiar with the Virtual Environment and has a working
knowledge of the ApacheSim module including the Building Template Manager, Apache Systems, Apache
Profile Manager and has the ability to assign systems and profiles to the model.

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3 Creating a Daikin VRV System
The Daikin VRV Systems module is a component of ApacheSim. Once the plugin has been installed, an
additional button appears at the bottom of the screen where the Loads, Dynamic Simulation and Batch
Simulation buttons appear.

Before entering the module either one or more VRV systems should be created as Apache Systems. The
number of systems to be created depends on the total building load.

The initial step is to assign the UK NCM system

type as a split or multi split system via the UK
NCM wizard, ensuring that the heating system,
heat source tab is set to Heat pump (electric):
air source and the fuel type is set to
Electricity
NB. There is no need to set a seasonal
efficiency value as this value is back fed into
the system from the simulation once
completed

Then under the cooling system tab, the Pack chiller

type should be set to Heat pump (electric)
NB. There is no need to set an EER value as this value
is back fed from the simulation once completed
Then click OK to close the window, a prompt should
appear to save the parameters, click Yes, save and
apply NCM parameters

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3.1 Control Zones
2 Pipe Heat pump systems are not able to heat & cool simultaneously. Therefore in order to correctly
simulate these systems, VE needs to know which mode the condenser is set to at any given time. In real
life this is defined by load in a single area known as a control zone. A single zone needs to be defined as
the master which controls the mode of all of the other fan coils attached to the same condenser. This can
be set in the Apache Systems tab by selecting the drop down list to display all of the zones that are
attached to that particular system

During the simulation, any zone that requires cooling when the master zone requires heating will not
receive any space conditioning until the master zone changes to cooling and vice versa.
The resulting effect on comfort levels can be seen using range tests in Vista to see how zones outside of
the master control zone compare against their setpoint.

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4 Daikin VRV Systems (Sizing and Simulation) Application
On entering the Daikin VRV Systems tool you are presented with the Daikin VRV
Systems (Sizing and Simulation) screen.

4.1 Loads & Autosizing

A) Loads and Sizing Tab This screen enables load calculation for the model, by changing the options
within this screen you can define the different types of VRV systems that will be automatically
selected based on the calculated loads
B) Selects the VRV system type. VRV III & VRV IV systems are included.
i. 2 pipe - Heating or cooling system
ii. 3 pipe Simultaneous heating and cooling system
C) Selects sub types of VRV systems
a. *2 pipe options VRV III (VRV IV has a single non-changeable sub category)
i. High COP system highest efficiency 2 pipe system larger outdoor footprint 12 to
36 HP
ii. Mini VRV 3 phase Very small footprint 3 phase electrical supply 4 to 6 HP
iii. Mini VRV single phase Very small footprint single phase electrical supply 4 to 6
HP

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 iv. Standard Compact Small footprint 3 phase electrical supply largest range 8 to
54 HP
b. 3 pipe options (all three phase electrical supply)
i. High COP system Highest efficiency 3 pipe system larger outdoor footprint 16 to
24 HP
ii. High Temperature Domestic Hot Water system System capable of providing high
temperature DHW as well as heating and cooling via fan coils 8 to 16 HP
iii. Standard Compact Small footprint 3 phase electrical supply largest range 8 to
48 HP
* If selecting 2 pipe systems then you must select a Master control zone which can be found in the
Apache Systems menu in the control tab.
D) Oversize system. This box allows a % increase which is added to all loads in order to allow a margin of
safety. Negative figures are allowed in order to view the effects of undersized systems in Vista (NB
Daikin advise against installing undersized systems due to increased wear and tear on important
components)

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 E) Operation mode (VRV IV only). There are 3 options available for VRV IV systems that change the way
VRV systems operate. Each mode alters the way that the system refrigerant temperature changes to
adapt to the capacity demand and application.
a. Standard Mode: Fixes the target evaporating and condensing temperatures throughout
operation, giving quick response times to increases in load. Minimal plant size required.
b. Hi Sensible Mode: Allows you to fix the evaporating and condensing temperatures at different
values, useful in alleviating draughts in sensitive areas and can substantially increase system
efficiency. Requires increased plant sizes.
c. Automatic Mode: Combines the advantages of Standard and Hi Sensible modes whereby the
system automatically changes the evaporating temperature to suit the application, increasing
efficiency at lower loads and enabling quick responses when loads are high. Automatic mode
offers higher efficiency and comfort than standard mode with the smaller plant selections
than Hi sensible. Default option for most applications.

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 F) Loads. This option lets you select between CIBSE or ASHRAE loads calculations
G) Fan coil unit type. This button allows the selection of the fan coil unit type. A mix of fan coil types can
be made once the loads have been calculated, but by entering the most commonly anticipated fan
coil type beforehand you can save a considerable amount of time, especially on larger projects.
H) Target evaporating and condensing temperatures. When using Hi sensible mode with Variable
Refrigerant Temperature the selection of the target Evaporating and Condensing temperatures can be
set here.
I) Peak loads and Autosizing. This button performs the loads calculations for each zone and selects an
appropriate fan coil(s) for each space and a suitable condenser based on the options previously
selected.

On completion of the load calculations the condenser and fan coil selections are presented

The selected condenser displays the Daikin model reference, when multiple VRV systems have been
created, click each condenser in turn to view the associated fan coil information in the System & Fan Coil
Unit Data dialogue.

The System & Fan Coil Unit Data dialogue displays the relevant information for each room or zone. The
Total loads tab includes the sensible plus latent loads followed by the sensible loads and heating loads.

The number of fan coils selected follows in the next column, if you require a larger number of fan coils
then double clicking in this field will allow you to overtype the selection with the required number and the
VRV module will re-select the required sized units.

Fan Speed denotes the selected fan speed of the indoor unit. Lower fan speeds give increased protection
against draughts but offer lower capacity.

The Index column shows the size of the Daikin fan coil, the larger the index, the larger the capacity. If you
would like the Daikin VRV Systems plugin to reselect fan coils of a lower index then please change the
number of fan coils required as the plugin will not reselect when changing the index. Changing the index is
usually used when checking the effect of over sizing fan coils.

Both the horizontal and vertical pipe lengths reflect the distance from the fan coil to the condenser. In
order to get an accurate selection and simulation, the pipe lengths should be as accurate as possible.

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 There are numerous pipework limitations that protect the system from high pressure drops which have
been incorporated into this module and these are outlined later in this document (see Design
Notifications) The following workflow should ensure adequate accuracy.
Right click on the room where the pipework from the condenser will first split to an indoor unit
and select Start pipe span from this room

A pop up will appear asking for the horizontal and vertical distance to the condenser, enter the
relevant values taking into account that if the condenser is below the ceiling level for the selected
room then a negative figure should be used

In this instance the fan coil is on the same floor,

but because it is a ceiling mounted unit and the
condenser is floor mounted, the figure to enter for
the vertical distance would be -2.5 (assuming a
2.5m ceiling height)

The module will then calculate estimated distances to all of the other fan coils, the fan coils are all
assumed to be in the middle of the room or zone. These pipe lengths serve as an estimation for early
stage design but should be corrected to the correct lengths for more accurate results, which is why the
pipe lengths themselves are editable. Double click in any of the fields to change pipework lengths. The
more accurate your pipework lengths, the more accurate your simulation will be.

An example of pipe length entry can be found at the end of this document.
The following fields show the available capacities from the fan coils once all corrections have been made

Underneath the Daikin VRV selection information the required condenser loads and available capacity are
displayed along with the published efficiencies. The published efficiencies can be used after a simulation
for comparison purposes.

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 The Notifications button accesses warnings and general notifications about the design of the Daikin VRV
system. Clicking this button opens up a document that outlines where the system design may be outside
of the allowable design parameters.

Some of Daikins design parameters are dependent on pipe length, accurate pipe lengths enable the
module to determine if any of these parameters have been exceeded.
As system diversity can now be accurately assessed you may find that systems are selected with a high
level of diversity (the ability to attach more fan coil capacity than the total capacity available from the
condenser)
We strongly recommend that any notifications or warnings on your selection are discussed with Daikin
who can be contacted on engineering@daikin.co.uk who will be happy to provide confirmation of
limitations and help with selections.

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4.2 Thermal Simulation

A) Thermal Simulation Tab Under this menu the settings for performing an accurate simulation of
the selected VRV systems can be performed
B) Timestep setting This setting will alter the frequency of the simulation steps 10 minute
timesteps are usually suitable for an accurate simulation however timesteps as low as 2 minutes
can be selected but are likely to produce very large file sizes
C) Weather file setting It is possible to select a weather file to any of the available .fwt or .epw file
types for the simulation
D) Simulation Results setting select or overtype the name of the simulation results file, multiple
simulation files can be used for comparison purposes
E) Simulate On Site Performance On pressing this button the simulation will begin, the simulation
itself comprises of three parts, an Apache simulation, a data gathering period where the module
collects data from the simulation file, and finally the calculation of the whole system power inputs
which represented by a progress bar
F) KW/h information Once the simulation has run the delivered capacities from the VRV system
appears here. The capacities are listed as Total Heating, Total Cooling, the combined Total
capacity and finally the total condenser power input
G) Condenser Loads In this area the simulated condenser loads appear once the simulation has
completed this figure can be compared against the capacity of the condenser as a quick check to
ensure there is likely to be sufficient capacity in extreme ambient conditions.

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 H) Room information The information displayed here shows the floor area and total fan coil power
input for the system selected under Systems & Outdoor Units
I) Simulated efficiencies The derived efficiencies are listed as SCoP, SSEER and the total efficiency
for the condensers. The bracketed figures underneath are the figures including all of the Fan coil
and Branch Selector box power inputs and represent the complete system efficiency
J) Click here for an Excel report of the selected system components and overview. The first part of
this report can be uploaded directly into VRV Xpress for piping & Wiring schematic generation.

4.3 Simulation Results

It is possible to obtain efficiencies in excess of the published figures with this module, very high or low
efficiencies are also possible but can be symptomatic of Apache system or profile anomalies. Care should
be taken to check the following before updating the simulated results to the model (The simulated results
can be automatically assigned to the Apache systems in the relevant efficiency fields, which is performed
when exiting the VRV systems module)

Very high efficiencies (typically exceeding 9)

Check your heating and cooling setpoints are correct, if at any point the cooling setpoint is lower than the
heating setpoint then artificially high efficiencies will result.
Check that simultaneous heating and cooling is occurring, High efficiencies usually come from designs
where heat recovery is optimised.
Check your simulated loads do not exceed the capacity of the loads run. A warning will appear if this
occurs at the end of the simulation, this can sometimes produce very efficient results even though the
system is not producing enough capacity to satisfy the room design load.

Very low efficiencies (around 3 or below)

System low efficiencies are usually indicative that the system requires re-selection. A number of
considerations should be taken into account to alleviate the chances of inefficient system design which
are listed below.
In Vista, look for points where the VRV system (not individual zones) is supplying small loads of a few
hundred Watts or less, due to minimum operating loads VRV systems are less efficient at this point and
can reduce total simulated efficiency.

In air tight buildings, low heating loads can be produced. In order to maximise the efficiency of the VRV
system its possible to identify zones or rooms that require simultaneous heating and cooling. Placing
these zones onto the same system will significantly increase the efficiency of the VRV system by use of the
heat recovery effect.
Opportunities for heat recovery can be further explored by recovering waste heat and using it in areas
where heat is required. Two examples of this are explained in the next section where the inclusion of
producing high temperature domestic hot water and also using air curtains attached to the Daikin VRV
system can significantly increase the efficiency of the building services within your model.

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4.4 DHW Production
Daikin is renowned for its pioneering attitude towards technology and reusing waste heat to produce
DHW is an innovation that can further increase the efficiency of building services.
The system that is used within the VRV systems module is the Daikin HXHD series high temperature
domestic hot water unit and the simulation is based on the system providing 60 Deg C flow temperatures
(65 Deg C generation) with a 260 litre storage tank. In this configuration the tank can be reheated from
cold (10 deg C) in 1 hour.
The recommended procedure for simulation is as follows:

Within the Apache System created for the

Daikin VRV system, select the Hot water tab
and set up the system to reflect the
example shown
Water inlet temperature assumed
as 10 Deg C
Hot Water supply temperature 60
Deg C
Storage volume 260 litres
Storage loss as 0.00577 kWh per
litre per day

Ensure that the relevant VRV system is assigned to the DHW demand in the tabular room data and is
reflected in the thermal template for the room usage profile

The most accurate simulation comes from specifying a single period whereby the entire storage capacity
is heated. Using profiles to determine casual demand will be indicative but the operation of the DHW
system is more suited to providing a full tank of heated DHW as this increases the ability to determine
efficient heat up periods by using waste heat rather than from heat produced by using primary energy
from the condensers.
Open the VRV Systems module in Apache and select the relevant rooms to add an HXHD High
temperature water system to the rooms that have a DHW demand. Its important to note that if small
DHW loads are in several rooms or zones then the VE will attribute all of these loads to the room that has
the HXHD unit attached.
Adding the DHW to the room or zone is performed by right clicking on the room with the DHW load and
selecting Add DHW to room from the pop up list. This will add a new row to the sizing grid purely for the
DHW demand.

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 The loads and sizing run and consequently the simulations will now include for DHW performed by the
Daikin VRV system.

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5 Example Pipe Length Explanations
As pipe lengths can have a considerable effect on the efficiency of the system, we have created the
following example to clarify the process.
Out 1
RXYQ12T7Y1B

15.0m 3.0m 3.0m 2.0m 6.0m

12.7x28.6 12.7x28.6 9.5x22.2 9.5x15.9 9.5x15.9
KHRQ22M64T KHRQ22M64T KHRQ22M29T9 KHRQ22M20T KHRQ22M20T

6.0m 1.0m 1.0m

6.4x12.7 6.4x12.7 6.4x12.7

Ind 6 Ind 7 Ind 8

6.0m FXNQ20P FXSQ40P FXSQ40P
9.5x15.9
KHRQ22M20T

1.0m 1.0m
9.5x15.9 9.5x15.9

Ind 5 Ind 4
6.0m FXFQ63A FXFQ63A
9.5x15.9
KHRQ22M20T

7.0m 1.0m 1.0m

6.4x12.7 9.5x15.9 9.5x15.9

Ind 1 Ind 2 Ind 3

FXZQ32M9 FXFQ63A FXFQ63A

The above diagram shows 4 rooms with pipework going down a corridor and branching off to each
area. The pipework distance from the condenser (outdoor) unit to the first branch in the refrigerant pipe
network needs to be known as it clarifies the height difference which is set by right clicking the zone
in the plugin that is the first branch from the main pipework from the condenser

On selecting this zone you enter the vertical and horizontal pipe length. In the above example the
condenser is above the fan coils. If the condenser is below the fan coils then a negative number (in
meters) would need to be input into the vertical box.
The other important pipework calculations are initially estimated by the plugin.
In order to maintain accuracy measured pipework lengths should be used by double clicking on the
pipelength boxes in the VRV plugin display

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 At early design stages it is unlikely youll know the pipe route, so an estimation of the likeliest pipe lengths
is acceptable to ascertain a system efficiency. When the pipe lengths are known then these can be added
in at a later date to improve the accuracy of the simulation.
If you have any queries or require any assistance with pipe lengths or any other aspect of the VRV system
design then please do not hesitate to contact Daikin at Engineering@Daikin.co.uk.

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