EXAMPLES

Since mechanical operations, especially HVAC systems, are the most

energy-consuming in buildings, let's chat a bit about this topic. This
will help us understand why we monitor specific parts and control
components when we start explaining through examples.

HVAC
Heating Air
Ventelation Conditioning

The whole topic simply revolves around controlling three

elements, which are:

Heat Humidity Air Quality

Air conditioning, in its various types, consists of a set of
interconnected components arranged in a specific way so that
ultimately, the air in the space meets the required standards of
temperature, humidity, and other factors

you can divide the components used into four main sections

SSOURCES
OURCES
The components that are the main sources for heating or
cooling operations.
Primary
Heating
Primary
Cooling

Examples

Chillers Boilers Cooling

Towers
The source of The source of Removing heat from the
cold water Heat water building to the outside of the
building
 DISTRIBUTION
DISTRIBUTION
A set of components responsible for transferring something from one place to
another, either through regular transport or by using force and propulsion.

Coils Valves
Transfer of heat from Transfer water from
water to air one place to another

With Water

Pipes Pumps
Pumping water from
Allowing the passage of water one place to another
from one place to another
 Dampers Fans
Transfer Air from one Pumping Air from one
place to another place to another
[Water Valve alternatives] [Water pump alternatives]
With Air

Ducts

Allowing the passage of Air

from one place to another
[Water Pipe alternatives]
 DELIVERY
D ELIVERY
A set of components whose function is to transfer heat or cold to
the desired location to be conditioned

We will talk about them with some details and

specifications as well

FCU
AHU

Diffusers Baseboard Radiator

The same
concept, but for
installation
here on the
ground, not on
the ceiling

Distribution of conditioned air inside the rooms

 CCONTROL
ONTROL
This family may include very large components such as:
1. Any sensors present in the system.
2. Any actuators in the system.
3. Thermostats, switches, and others.
4. Controllers in all their forms, whether integrated into a system like BMS
Or if they are part of the equipment on the controller present within the
FCU and within the VAV system.

Actuators
Switches Sensors

Thermostat

Controllers
 We can simplify air conditioning systems into just two types.

Before we discuss the difference between them, let's define an

important term, which is:

ZZONE
ONE
An area within a building can vary in size, but what distinguishes
it is that the entire space has the same thermal load, or in simpler
terms, all of it requires the same temperature and humidity level.
You can observe this in a building where, for example, regular
rooms have a certain temperature, while data rooms with racks
have a different temperature. Therefore, we say that regular
rooms belong to one zone and data rooms belong to another

So far so good. Now let's see the difference between these two types.
 CCENTRAL
ENTRAL
1. The larger and more extensive system, with larger equipment.
2. serves large areas containing one or more zones.
3. Its equipment is notable for its size and is commonly found in
specific locations,
such as...
1. The building's rooftop.
2. mechanical rooms inside the building.
3. outside the building.

LLOCAL
OCAL
The systems whose components are within one package .
The installation is typically close to the zone that needs to be
conditioned .

First, I'd like to say a few words about air conditioning in general before
we look at examples of the many equipment types found in it, with the
most important being the AHU .
 Air
AHU
A HU Unit

Handling

Locations of Presence:
In medium and large buildings that use central air conditioning.
Their sizes are large, so you would expect to see them in areas with
large spaces, either on the building's rooftop or in mechanical rooms
inside the building.
Their number inside the building is limited because they cover large
areas, such as entire floors, for example

AHU
A HU
Instead of buying one
large unit, they can buy
multiple units to
distribute them
throughout the building
and improve the design
flexibility.
AHU
A HU
AHU
A HU
Why is an AHU needed in the air conditioning system?
The literal translation is: "Tell us that the literal translation is
Air Handling Unit.

1. The air enters from outside the building, known as “ fresh air”
2. The air undergoes treatment, and this treatment is as follows...
Air purification to improve its quality.

Lowering its temperature (cooling process) or raising its temperature

,Using the (heating process).

Adding humidity or removing humidity from the air.

3. After all these treatments, the air is then circulated to the areas to be

conditioned.

The components:

The simplest configuration of an AHU consists of two

parts

Supply Return
 Return
Fan

Exhaust
Air Return
Heating
Grill Filters
Coil

Fresh
Air Supply

Damper Cooling Supply

Coil Fan

Grill : Located at the front of the unit, in the direction of air intake or
exhaust, its purpose is to prevent the entry of debris into the unit.

Damper : Controlling the amount of air entering and leaving the unit.

Filters : The incoming air needs to be filtered to remove dust and impurities

(improving air quality).

Cooling Coil : Copper pipes arranged in a specific manner, with a refrigerant

flowing inside them. When air passes between these pipes, heat exchange

occurs, cooling the air.

Heating Coil : Similar to the cooling coil concept, but this could be copper
pipes with electric heating coils or electric elements instead, through which
hot water flows.

Supply Fan : Fans in general are used to draw in and push out air.
You may also find other components like the humidifier,
responsible for adding humidity to the air. It draws water,
vaporizes it, and then (injects it into the air to be distributed
as steam)

In most buildings, to reduce electricity consumption, a large

proportion of the air returned from the room, which has already
been cooled/heated previously, is reused.

Exhaust
Return
MIX

Fresh
Supply
Alright, you've identified most of the important components. Now
let's see what we monitor here.

Look at the
complete
picture and
let's break it
down into
parts and
understand
each part
individually
the shape I saw, this is considered the SLD What
you'll always see for the BMS. (Single Line
Diagram)

Focus with me here because this information is extremely important

Below in the diagram, you'll find a table where you can understand
each point on the unit, whether it's digital or analog, its type (AHU),
and whether it's an input or output signal.

This information will identify the type of module that the points are
connected to in the DDC Panel.
Analog
Input
Analog AI
Output AO

Binary BI
Input BO
Binary
Output

The arrow in row BO and its direction

pointing outward means that this is a
digital signal outgoing from the
controller to activate or deactivate a
specific component
Note :
Binary = Digital Signal (0 , 1)
 we look up a bit, we find a description of the signal ,and
sometimes a description of the cable used to connect the

Fresh DAMPERS COMMAND

Field Device to the module.

It's written here, for example, that this is a command

used to control the opening and closing of the damper
responsible for bringing fresh air from outside the
building to the AHU

the AHU, it's the type that mixes fresh air from outside the building
with a portion of the air returned from inside the building .

MIXING

Firstly :
before the outside air enters the building, the external
temperature and humidity are measured using a sensor for each
task, and sometimes one sensor performs both tasks.
 There's a damper used to control the
entry of outside air into the building.

The control will be done through

Rotary Actuator MD

Motorized
Damper
T
Outdoor Temperature &
Humidity Sensor
Command

Status AI DO

0 : Fully Closed
1 : Fully Open

Rotary
Actuator

1. Similarly, there will be a damper along the return path to control the
exhaust of air from inside the building to the outside. (I understand
the concept in general regardless of the mechanical design of the
unit.)
When air enters it passes through filters. The purpose of these filters
is to carry out the purification process (raising the air quality).

The dust collected from the air accumulates on the surface of the
filter. That's why the filters need to be monitored so they know
when to replace them.

The idea is simple...

A switch is installed to measure the pressure difference on both

sides of the filter.

The switch is (DPS) The Differential Pressure Switch .

Its concept is simple: we set a value on it, and when the pressure
difference around the filter reaches that value, it gives a signal
indicating that the filter needs to be changed.
Alright, sir. If the air quality is fine for now, then we move on to
the next stage, which is adjusting its temperatures using coils.

For cooling: we use the cooling coil.

For heating: we use the heating coil.

What do we need here... !! Cooling Coil

The cold water inlet Motorized

Valve

[ Valve + Actuator ]
CHW SUPPLY

CHW RETURN

The water exits after passing through the AI AO Command

copper pipes (Coil)
Status

CWH : Chiller Water

We'll need to control the amount of water flowing into the coils and
the volume of water altogether. When the volume is high, it means
greater cooling.
The amount of water entering is controlled using a valve fitted
with an actuator.
Give it a command so that the AI understands how much to open.
I'll wait for a status from it through which I can know How much of its
opening.

Command
Actuator

Status Valve

Pipes

The AHU can indeed have a heating coil operating in the same way

exactly. Instead of hot water, it can also operate with electricity. We'll

see this when we explain an example from inside the MCC panel.
 The unit has two fans. One is for supplying air into the room,
located in the supply section, and the other operates in reverse and
is located in the return section.

For a fan to work effectively, there must be a significant pressure

difference between the air in front of it and the air behind it.

That's why....
You'll always find a pressure difference switch (DPS) with AHU
fans. Through it, you can determine whether the fan is operating
properly or not.

Note:
Typically, about 30 seconds are waited after issuing the fan start
command. If the switch doesn't reach the required pressure
difference, it's known that the fan is faulty.
SUPPLY FAN

Status P
DI

DI
You'll also find temperature sensors measuring the air
temperature outside so the machine can determine whether it still
needs cooling or heating the air or not.

Similarly, there would be a

smoke sensor on the supply Smoke
duct, indicating if there's a Detector

fire inside the machine or

not. Another one would be on
SD
the return duct, signaling if T
there's a fire coming from the
area being conditioned or
not.
AI DI
Status Status

As soon as smoke passes over it, its status will

change, and it will send a signal to the controller.

DUCT SMOKE DETECTOR

HVAC Duct
 The matter is simple, as you can see. You won't need anything from
me except understanding how each part works and why it's installed
in a particular location.

Linkage with MCC :

Since the AHU contains fans, which means motors, it's natural
for them to have a control circuit and power inside the MCC.

Most of the work in BMS with electricity involves

monitoring, or in other words, knowing the specific status
of something. Also, it's important to note that most of the
signals we deal with are digital.

Firstly, for the BMS to control the fan, it must be set to the "auto"
mode,

allowing remote control from the controller

And that's why you'll find status signals coming from the MCC,
indicating whether the fan is set to "auto" or not.

you can't imagine the situation... follow along with me

 We need to know the status of the fan, whether it has started or
not.
We need to know if the fan is operating properly or if it has any
issues like overloading.
Finally, we need to have the ability to turn the fan on and off as
needed.

S.F Auto/Manual Status

DI
S.F Status Status
DI

MCC
S.F Trip Status
DI
S.F S/S Command
DO

The connection would be as follows.....

DDC Panel

Auto/Manual MCC
Status

Trip

Start
Stop
Control Cables Command

DPS Status

Power Cable
S.F
What happens inside the MCC?
Alright, we agreed that the AHU contains fans, and these fans are
powered by motors. It's natural for the motor to have a control
circuit inside the MCC, in addition to the power circuit. But what
matters to us is the control circuit.
To make everything clear, let's assume the motor operates on
a simple (DON) starting circuit.
Direct On-Line

The power circuit diagram:

Controlling the motor's start

and stop.
Short circuit
protection circuit.

MCCB
Contactor

OverLoad

Protection against overload

currents from the motor's
excess loading.

The fan motor

inside the
AHU.
The control circuit diagram?
The components mentioned earlier are important, but what matters
to me is the control circuit because it will determine how I can
connect the BMS to it.
Selector
Line Fuse
Switch

Auxiliary contact
The contactor
point from the
coil.
overload.

Neutral

Let me explain this part to you first, and then you can
continue with it.....
Firstly, at the beginning of the control circuit, you'll find a fuse
protecting it from short circuits. And you'll find it the first element
in the circuit.

After that, I have a Selector, which is a switch with many forms, the
simplest of which is the 3-pos, with 3 positions, or the famous one
known as H OA
HOA
Off Auto
Hand
 H AND
HAND
In manual mode, electricity will be directly connected
to the contactor coil, and then the power circuit will
close, starting the motor.

The circuit is complete and

everything is fine.

It could disconnect here due to two reasons:

1. Changing the switch position and keeping it in the "OFF" position,

disconnecting electricity from the contactor coil.
2. Excessive load occurs, activating the overload device. When it's
activated, the status of the auxiliary contact point changes; the closed
one becomes open and the open one becomes closed.

The circuit is interrupted

when overload occurs.
Keep in your mind......
The BMS is not related to the manual mode (Hand), and the
switch must be in the Auto mode for it to receive signals from
the BMS and operate.

A point from the Digital Output (DO)

module inside the DDC panel.

When the BMS controller sends a signal, the point will close,
providing an alternative full power supply to the coil of the
contactor, which will then activate, and the motor will start
running.

The disconnection happens here.

Switching the switch to the OFF position.

OL

Overload occurrence and opening of the

Cutting off the signal to the control point that completed the circuit, as mentioned earlier.
 So, we understand why it's important to know the switch position
and why the BMS works with me only in the automatic mode.

The second question....

How do I know if the motor is running or not?
Simple... the main motor controller is the contactor, so if the
contactor is active, the motor is running, and vice versa.
How do I do that?
By using an auxiliary contact from the contactor, when it closes,
the controller understands that the contactor has operated, and
thus, the motor has started.
My last question...
How do I know if there's a trip or overload issue?

Simpler than before... I'll take a signal from the existing

device to monitor the overload through an open
auxiliary contact point on it, that's it.

<< Translated by me >>

Rama Alshaer